By Marcia Moore
SHAMOKIN DAM — Jack H. Treas was remembered by colleagues Monday as a compassionate man who cared about his community.
Treas passed away Saturday at age 80, a little more than a year after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor.
He served as mayor of Shamokin Dam for 26 years until he had to step down in September 2008 to have the surgery.
“Jack was a very community-oriented individual. He was always concerned about other people,” said Borough Council member Malcolm Fleming.
G. Robert Herbert was a council member for 26 years and worked side by side with Treas, even serving briefly as mayor when he was forced to leave the office last fall.
“Jack held things together,” Herbert said. “He didn’t get excited. I don’t think I saw anyone ruffle his feathers.”
He was such a beloved member of the municipal government that when Treas became ill, council members were reluctant to fill his seat.
Former Sunbury Broadcasting Corp. President Joe McGranaghan now serves as mayor.
Herbert said Treas was a compassionate man who got involved in his community and, along with his wife, Jinny, always offered a friendly greeting.
“He was involved in a lot,” Herbert said of the many volunteer efforts Treas tackled.
His dedication to the community was rewarded in 2005 when a park on the Old Trail was named after him.
He served on the board of directors at Evangelical Community Hospital, as a member of the Selinsgrove school board, on the Union-Snyder County Area Agency on Aging Foundation and with the Service Corps of Retired Executives.
Treas retired in 1994 from the Snyder County Trust Co.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years; a son, Jack; and three grandchildren.
