John C. Felmy

07/12/1954 - 06/13/2025

John C. Felmy, 70, of Olney, MD, passed away on June 13, 2025, in Sandy Spring, MD, after a lengthy illness. John was born in Clearfield, PA, to Mary Felmy and Norwood Brosius. He grew up in Jersey Shore, PA, and the surrounding area, where he was known to his childhood and college friends and family as "Smokey". He was a graduate of Jersey Shore High School, received a BA and MA in Economics from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Maryland.
Mr. Felmy had more than three decades' experience in energy, economic, and environmental analysis. John served as the chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute (API) from 2000 to 2016. He was responsible for overseeing economic, statistical, and policy analysis of the Institute. Earlier in his career he worked for DRI/McGraw Hill, ICF Consulting, and Princeton Economic Research. John was known for his impeccable insights on energy markets, reporting on both International and national markets with clarity and penetrating understanding. John was a deeply knowledgeable expert on the petroleum industry and the overall energy sector, and was tireless in his passion to educate the public. As chief economist of API, he traveled the country giving hundreds of presentations and interviews to members of Congress and their staffs, Federal and State agencies, the media, professional organizations, universities, and many others.
John was a member of several professional associations including the American Economic Association, the National Association for Business Economics, and the International Association for Energy Economics. In 2000 he was elected President of the National Capital Area Chapter of the U.S. Association for Energy Economics (NCAC-USAEE) and was later recognized for his accomplishments in the field of energy economics by being named a Senior Fellow.
John never forgot his Pennsylvania roots. He regaled anyone who would listen with stories of growing up in the hills of Pennsylvania, fishing with his brother, working alongside his father, and surviving the life-altering effects of the Hurricane Agnes floods. Supporter of all things related to Penn State, he was a devoted fan of Penn State football. As an undergraduate, he was president of the Debate Society, where he honed the skills that would serve him well in his later career. John was a member of Penn State's Phi Kappa Tau fraternity where he made many life-long friends and was a consistent donor to their many philanthropic events.
John was the beloved husband of Mary Anne Normile for more than 46 years. John was preceded in death by his brother, Andrew Felmy of Pasco, WA, and his parents. John also leaves behind a large extended family including several sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. John will be missed greatly by his family and a wide range of friends.
Information on a celebration of John's life will be forthcoming at www.colefuneral.com. Interment will be private. For those who wish, donations in John's memory may be made to the Penn State Pattee-Paterno Library at raise.psu.edu/JohnFelmyMemorial.