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For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193. Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com. In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased's care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email. All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full. Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published. Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing. MCCARTHY ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES INC. McCarthy Engineering Associates Inc. has announced the promotion of Mehdi Mehrabi, Ph.D., P.E. to Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) division manager. Mehrabi, who has served as senior mechanical engineer with the firm, brings extensive experience, leadership, and technical expertise to this role. Under Mehrabi’s direction, McCarthy Engineering Associates MEP Division has advanced significantly — most notably through full integration of Autodesk Revit, an industry-leading design and coordination platform. With Autodesk Revit now fully implemented, McCarthy Engineering Associates is positioned to deliver seamless coordination with architectural teams. With Mehrabi’s leadership and the firm’s enhanced technical capabilities, McCarthy’s MEP Division is ready to support innovative, coordinated projects from concept to completion. PENN STATE BERKS Michael Fidanza, professor of plant and soil science at Penn State Berks, has been named president of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture. Fidanza will serve as PSPA’s 239th president for a one-year term. PSPA was formed in 1785 for the purpose of exploring and promoting best practices in agriculture. Early members were some of the most notable figures of the young United States — Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington among them. PSPA holds monthly meetings that focus on topics of interest to members which encourage learning about existing and emerging technology and how it impacts agriculture, our natural resources, and sustainability. PSPA also supports the next generation of agriculture professionals by offering scholarships that support their educational goals and opportunities that lead to pursuing careers in agriculture and the food industry. Fidanza traces his own interest in agriculture back to childhood, where he worked on his father’s mushroom farm in Chester County. His research interests focus on turfgrass ecology, the evaluation of plant health products (i.e., fungicides, herbicides, plant growth regulators), soil surfactants, seed technology, and cultural practices (fertilizers, biostimulants) in turfgrass ecosystems, and the biology and ecology of fairy ring disease in turfgrass. He also investigates the benefits and uses of mushroom compost for the lawn and landscape, crop production, and the environment. SAXTON & STUMP Saxton & Stump senior counsel Ryan C. Givens has been named to the Central Penn Business Journal’s annual “Forty Under 40” list. Givens is an attorney in the firm’s Business and Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Banking and Financial Services, and Information Privacy and Cybersecurity groups. Givens joined Saxton & Stump’s Lancaster office in early 2025. He advises businesses through every stage of their lifecycle, from formation to acquisition and sale, and assists with corporate governance, contracts, joint ventures, debt financing, business succession, and daily operations. He also maintains a cybersecurity practice, helping companies address evolving cyber risks in collaboration with Granite GRC Consulting, a Saxton & Stump affiliate. Beyond his legal practice, Givens serves on the board of directors of the Demuth Foundation, which promotes visual arts in the city and operates the Demuth Museum and Lancaster Museum of Art. He was an inaugural board member of the Lancaster Catholic High School Alumni Council and volunteers at the school, participating in career day and judging class projects to help guide the next generation of the region’s professionals. BARLEY SNYDER Barley Snyder has been named one of HRM Outlook’s “Top ERISA Service Providers 2025” in the publication’s annual ERISA edition. This recognition highlights Barley Snyder’s depth of experience and dedication in delivering strategic, practical counsel on employee benefits and retirement plan matters. HRM Outlook’s selection is based on nominations from its extensive subscriber base of more than 199,000 professionals across print and digital platforms. As part of this recognition, Mark Smith — partner and chair of Barley Snyder’s Employee Benefits Practice Team — was featured in the ERISA Service Providers 2025 edition. In his profile, Smith discusses the firm’s comprehensive approach to employee benefits law, emphasizing Barley Snyder’s commitment to guiding employers through complex compliance, fiduciary, and plan administration challenges. With a multidisciplinary team serving employers, plan sponsors and fiduciaries, Barley Snyder’s Employee Benefits Practice provides counsel on all aspects of benefit plan design, administration, and compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Smith brings more than 35 years of experience in employee benefits law. His practice encompasses all aspects of employee benefits and ERISA, including the design, implementation, and administration of health and welfare benefit plans and the fiduciary law aspects of ERISA. Smith regularly designs and drafts non-retirement benefit plan documents. The have included insured and self-funded health care plans, welfare benefit plan wrap documents, and Section 125 cafeteria and flexible benefit plan documents. Email your news to money@readingeagle.com and attach a recent (high-resolution) photo. Include a contact name and phone number with your submission. Deadline is the Tuesday prior to publication.
