Frederick D. Hafer

Frederick Douglass Hafer, 66, Wyomissing, died September 16, 2007, in the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, where he was a patient for six days.

He was the beloved husband of Martha Louise (Gartner) Hafer. They celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary on April 6, 2007.

Born March 12, 1941, in West Reading, PA, he was the son of the late Charles Frederick and Irene (Renninger) Hafer.

Fred was a 1959 graduate of West Reading High School and attended Drexel Institute of Technology. While in Drexel's co-op program, he was offered a job at Metropolitan Edison Company (Met-Ed), a subsidiary of General Public Utilities (GPU). Fred worked for Met-Ed and GPU his entire career, starting as a copyboy and working his way up to Chairman of the Board. During his career, he served as Treasurer, Vice-President of Rates, President of Metropolitan Edison, Chairman, President and CEO of General Public Utilities and finally Chairman of First Energy. He retired in 2002.

Surviving are three sons: Fred, husband of Susan (Lloyd) Hafer, Wyomissing, PA; Craig, husband of Nancy (Koch) Hafer, Robeson Township, PA; and Keith, husband of Nicole (Rinaldi) Hafer, Hoboken, NJ. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Lauren Hafer, Kristen Hafer, Max Hafer, Peter Hafer, Kate Hafer, Jack Hafer, and Wyatt Hafer.

Other survivors include two brothers, Jeffrey Hafer, husband of Linda, Sinking Spring, PA; and Gregory Hafer, husband of Charlene, Birdsboro, PA, and two sisters, Deborah Hart, wife of Donald, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; and Cheryl Pogue, wife of Frank, Cincinnati, Ohio.

During his life, Fred served his community on the board of directors of numerous organizations: The Hawk Mountain Chapter of Boy Scouts of America, The Manufacturer's Association of Berks County, The Reading Hospital and Medical Center, Atonement Lutheran Church, Albright College, Caron Foundation, Berks Festivals, Berks Chamber of Commerce, Olivet Boys and Girls Club, Berks Arts Council, Drug-Free Pennsylvania and Kutztown University Foundation. He and his wife, Martha, co-chaired the 1994-95 Berks County United Way Campaign. Martha and Fred also co-chaired the 2007 Kutztown University Capital Campaign. He helped found Berks TALKLINE and was a trustee of the Wyomissing Foundation.

In the business community, Fred served with equal distinction, serving on the Board of Directors of Meridian Bank, Sovereign Bank, Reading Electric and Power Co. and National Penn Bank.

He was recognized for his accomplishments with awards from various organizations: Who's Who of America for the youngest utility industry executive in the United States; the Richard J. Caron Award of Excellence; Berks County Chamber of Commerce's Businessperson of the Year; Junior Achievement Hall of Fame and co-recipient with his wife of the Olivet Boys and Girls Club Champion of Youth. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Alvernia College and an Honorary Juris Doctorate from Kutztown University. Fred was the 1987, 1988, and 1989 Berks County Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Community Leader.

Fred was well-known and respected for his public speaking skills. his presentations beyond the local community included speaking in Russia on chemical dependency, England on customer service and elsewhere in Europe on utility industry topics.

Fred's commitment to his family and the community was echoed in a presentation that he shared throughout the nation entitled "The Cost of Doing Nothing." He personified the belief that whatever one has in life, one should render some sacrifice to improve the lives of others.

Services will be held on Saturday, September 22, at Atonement Lutheran Church, 5 Wyomissing Boulevard, Wyomissing, PA. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Institute for the Advancement of Children's Environmental Health, Kutztown University Foundation, P.O. Box 730, Kutztown, PA 19530.

Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc., West Reading, is in charge of arrangements.