Jay P. Brenneman

Jay P. Brenneman, 93, died at Brethren Village on May 31, 2026. Son of the late Esther and Paul H. Brenneman, he had been married almost sixty years to the late Marie Kathryn McEllhenney, who passed in 2015. He graduated from then-Manor-Millersville High School in 1951; served in the US Coast Guard; thereafter attended Franklin & Marshall College, graduating in 1958.

He became a Freemason with Carles M. Howell Lodge No. 496, F&AM in Millersville, PA. Jay began his 30-year career with the Federal Government in 1958. While working with the US Atomic Energy Commission, he received his master’s degree in political science at the University of Tennessee in 1963. Over his career, he also served as an Associate Director of the Peace Corps in Brazil, Legislative Analyst with the White House Office of Management & Budget, Congressional Officer with the Federal Reserve Board, and Regional Administrator with the US Department of Labor in Philadelphia.

Following his retirement, he enjoyed 25 years of adjunct teaching with several colleges and universities, mainly at West Chester University. He also served on the Boards of Directors of the former Lancaster County Human Relations Commission, Crispus Attucks Community Center, and Clair House Inc. Like his late wife, Jay was a longtime follower of the Unitarian-Universalist faith. Closely related in impact was the Bethlehem Bach Choir in PA, of which he was a guarantor and attended the choir’s annual spring festivals for many years. He was a lover of jazz and attended numerous musical concerts and festivals with his beloved Marie.

Surviving Jay are two daughters, Julia (Louis) Ruggiere of Portland, OR, and Janet Groff, residing in Lancaster, PA; grandchildren Sarah Sarah (Shiran Sukumar) and Leah Ruggiere, Meghan Groff Clark (Curtis Clark), Kelly Groff (Andrew Robertson), Brendan Groff (Kathleen Detweiler); and great-grandchildren Sienna Marie and Lucas Herbert. He was preceded in death by his wife; and sisters Judith Davis and Janice Duffey. The latter, whose children Joann Hendricks, Daniel Duffey, and the late Kathy Harlan and their respective families were cherished sources of support and joy to Jay.

Services will be private at the convenience of the family.