Grayson Eugene McNair died on March 29, 2025, in Country Meadows, Allentown.

Born Dec. 16, 1940, he was a son of the late Irving Sr. and Lucie (Wagstaff) McNair, who had resided in Emmaus.

In 1958, he graduated from Emmaus High School as valedictorian and, in 1962, he graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science 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 future wife, Janet (Jan) Wieder, at a party during the Christmas holiday when both were sophomores in college.

She lived in Allentown and was a student at Muhlenberg College.

After graduation, they were married on Aug. 18, 1962, at Egner Memorial Chapel at Muhlenberg.

They celebrated 62 years of loving marriage in 2024.

A son, Douglas Grayson, was born to the couple in 1963.

Soon to follow, in 1966, a daughter, Kerry Ann, entered their lives.

Sadly, she was born with an inoperable congenital heart defect and died when she was 2-and-a half-months-old.

Joy returned to the family with the birth of another son, Timothy Eugene, in 1968.

After college graduation, Grayson joined PP&L as a graduate trainee, where he served as a distribution engineer.

He worked on the protective relaying design for the utility’s first 500,000-volt transmission lines, then became involved in interconnection planning projects.

He was a transmission and distribution engineer for four years before being named assistant manager of rates and market research in 1975.

He was named manager of conservation services in 1978 and vice president of marketing and customer services in 1980.

From 1987-89, he was on a rotation assignment as vice president of system power.

He retired from the company after 32 years, the final five years as vice president of the Lehigh Division.

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, he was 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 chairman of the merged United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley-Northampton-Warren counties; Chairman 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; chairman of the Emmaus Planning Commission; and director of the Computer Fund Campaign for the Emmaus Public Library.

Active in The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, 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.

Despite his job responsibilities and community service, he always had time for his sons’ activities.

He first 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, and was a member of the Order of the Arrow and received the Silver Beaver Award.

The family annually took trips and especially loved their time together at Lake Wallenpaupack.

After retirement, he continued his community service and took on other positions when asked.

He stepped in as interim director of the Lehigh Valley Food Bank.

Later, he was appointed by Lehigh Carbon Community College as executive director of the college foundation.

After a successful campaign with the help of many friends and acquaintances, he was elected a Lehigh County commissioner in 1995 and again in 1999.

Midway through his second term, in 2001, he was appointed director of Human Services for Lehigh County, and retired from that position in 2006.

He was known by many during his lifetime, and respected all with whom he worked on any level.

He was a great role model for his sons, teaching them the value of family, faith, hard work, love, and compassion.

He will be missed by many, especially his family.

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

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

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

Arrangements were made by Schantz Funeral Home P.C., Emmaus.