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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. Michael Fidanza, professor of plant and soil science at Penn State Berks, has been named president of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture. PSPA was formed in 1785 to explore and promote 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. Charles Thomson, a founding member of the society, served as secretary of the Continental Congress and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Today, the society’s mission to promote and expand members’ knowledge of the many aspects of our diverse and economically important agriculture industry continues. It will also be involved in America250 to help commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary. “It is an honor to serve in this capacity, and give back to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry,” Fidanza said in a release from the college. “This industry has supported my research and teaching mission by providing financial support, gift-in-kind support and employment opportunities for our agricultural science students at Penn State Berks.” PSPA holds monthly meetings that focus on topics of interest to members that encourage learning about existing and emerging technology and how it impacts agriculture, natural resources, and sustainability, particularly within food production systems. 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. Notably, PSPA’s archives are stored in the University of Pennsylvania Library and these valuable records are available for research scholars’ use as well as the general public. 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. Building on his childhood experiences on his father’s farm, Fidanza also investigates the benefits and uses of mushroom compost for the lawn and landscape, crop production and the environment. Fidanza will serve as PSPA’s 239th president for a one-year term.
