Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty, 94, former longtime resident of Lewisburg, died Sunday, June 29, 2025, with family by his side, at his daughter Mary and son-in-law Scot’s home in Mifflinburg, with whom he lived the last few years of his life.

The son of the late Samuel and Bertha (Dunmire) Dougherty, Jack was born on May 31, 1931, in Lewistown, PA, and spent his childhood in Meadville and Ridley Park, PA. On November 27, 1954, he married Frances M. (Clayman) Dougherty, who died on August 28, 2021. Together Jack and Fran celebrated sixty-six years of marriage.

After graduating from Ridley Park High School in 1949, Jack joined the United States Marine Corp as a private first class and was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant. While later working in sales at RCA in Cherry Hill, NJ, Jack met the beautiful Frances Clayman, a keypunch operator. They married on November 27, 1954, living in the Fairview section of Camden, where the first three of their six children were born. Jack moved his family to Lewisburg, PA, in 1958 after being recruited for a new sales position at JPM. By the time the family moved to their home on Smoketown Road in 1965 (into the house with the white bench around the catalpa tree out front), two more children were born and one more was on the way.

Jack took great pride in working hard to provide for his wife and family, treating them to beach vacations in Stone Harbor, Cape May, and Cape Cod, once, quite notably, navigating a twenty-five-foot Winnebago down the narrow streets of Provincetown. An avid golfer and a member of the Bucknell Golf Club for many years, Jack once sunk a hole-in-one. As much as he loved golf, it was well known that Jack’s favorite meal was breakfast. Before teeing off, Jack loved getting together with his buddies at favorite restaurants like the Wagon Wheel, Good Wil’s, the Dodge House, and May’s. Later, Dunkin’ Donuts, McDonald’s, The Carriage Corner, and East Side Diner became morning destinations with his children, grandchildren, and sons-in-law, waking others with a loud “Rise and Shine!” Jack was a member of the Sacred Heart Church in Lewisburg and for many years served as a deacon. In retirement, he supported the right to vote by being a volunteer poll worker. A fan of crossword puzzles, John Wayne, and the daily newspaper, Jack was extremely proud of the life he built with his wife and children.

Surviving Jack are his six children with Frances: Michael Dougherty, of Lewisburg, Mark Dougherty and his wife, Rashidah, of Alabama, and their children, Yusuf, Ahmad and Salman; Laurie Rainey and her husband, Tom, of New Mexico, and her son, Kevin; Tim Dougherty, of Delaware; Mary Wagner and her husband, Scot, of Mifflinburg, and her children, Joseph and Theo Tuzzolino; and Elizabeth Bortz and her husband, Brian, of New Hampshire, and their children, Alyson and Maxwell, his wife Allison, and their two children, Amelia and Emmaline. In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by his four brothers Ross, Reah, Clarence, and Harry.

Honoring Jack’s wishes, there will be no services; we invite you to celebrate Jack’s memory privately. The family suggests contributions in Jack’s memory be made to WellSpan Hospice Services, 235 Hospital Drive, Lewisburg, PA 17837 or online at www.evanhospital.com/support-evangelical.

The family is being assisted by Cronrath-Grenoble Funeral Home, South Second and St. Louis Streets, Lewisburg. Inurnment will be held at the Lewisburg Cemetery Columbarium.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cronrathgrenoblefuneralhome.com.