Grayson Eugene McNair, 84, died March 29, 2025, at Country Meadows, Allentown. He was born to the late Irving Sr. and Lucie (Wagstaff) McNair. In 1958, he graduated from Emmaus High School as valedictorian, played varsity football and was awarded the Player’s Player Award in his senior year.

In 1962, he graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

At Virginia, he was a member of the Alpha Chapter of Chi Phi Fraternity and served as president for two years. He met his wife, Janet (Jan) Wieder, at a party during the Christmas holiday when both were sophomores in college and they married in 1962.

He worked for PP&L as a graduate trainee, a transmission and distribution engineer, assistant manager of rates and market research, manager of conservation services, vice president of marketing and customer services and on a rotation assignment as vice president of system power. He retired after 32 years; the final five years as vice president of the Lehigh Division.

He was a Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers. Always active in engineering and community affairs, he was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Lehigh Valley Society of Professional Engineers, then Engineer of the Year. He served on the board of Barry Isett & Associates.

He served the community in many leadership roles, including chairman of the United Way of Lehigh County and the first chair of the merged United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley-Northampton-Warren Counties; chair of the Diamond Center for Economic Education at Lehigh University; president of the Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America; board member of the Lehigh County Conference of Churches; member of the Allentown Rotary Club; board member of KidsPeace; chair of the Emmaus Planning Commission and director of the Computer Fund Campaign for the Emmaus Public Library.

Active in his church, The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Emmaus, he served as an assisting minister, on church council, Sunday school superintendent and emcee for the church’s 50th anniversary banquet. With his wife, he worked as a volunteer behind the desk at the Emmaus Public Library.

He served as a Webelos BSA leader in his home and accompanied the boys on many Scouting trips, jamborees and paper drives. Both sons are Eagle Scouts, making their dad very proud since he attained only Life Scout. As an adult, he advanced through the Scouting ranks to become president of the Minsi Trails Council. He was a member of the Order of the Arrow and received the Silver Beaver Award.

After retirement, he was interim director of the Lehigh Valley Food Bank, executive director of the Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation, Lehigh County Commissioner in 1995 and again in 1999 and appointed director of human services for Lehigh County.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons, Douglas and his wife, Kathy and Timothy and his wife, Kimberly; granddaughters, Emily Anne, of Atlanta and Addison Rhea, of Washington, D.C.; brothers, Irving Jr. and his wife, Drusilla, of South Carolina and Charles and his wife, Anne, of New Jersey; stepsister, Mildred Runkle; nieces, Evelyn and Christine Antonius; many cousins.

He was predeceased by his infant daughter, Kerry Ann; parents; nephews, Jefferson Cabell and James Irving; stepmother, Ruby; parents-in-law, Carl and Cecelia Wieder; many aunts and uncles.

Contributions may be made in Grayson’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave., Floor 47, Chicago, IL 60601.