Melvin Earl Rosier

Melvin Earl Rosier, 93, of the Glen at Willow Valley, entered into rest at his residence on June 25, 2026. Born in Union City, Erie County, Pennsylvania, Mel was the youngest of six children of Charles and Althena (Burger) Rosier. His father died in 1935, when he was two years of age. His mother dedicated her life to keeping the family intact during difficult times. Mel was married for 64 years to his loving wife, Mary (Katulich) Rosier.

Mel served in Korea with the United States Army during the Korean Conflict. Following discharge from the service, he enrolled at The Pennsylvania State University in State College and graduated with a degree in Secondary Education in 1958. He later completed both his Master's and Doctoral degrees in Education at Penn State; he was awarded the H. Bruce Dennison Award as the most promising young educational administrator of the year in 1964. While he was at Penn State, he served three years on the Campus Police Patrol.

Professionally, Mel taught for five years in the high school classroom at Fort LeBoef High School in Waterford, PA, and served two years as Principal at Rothrock Junior-Senior High School in McVeytown, PA. Subsequently, he was the Assistant Superintendent of the Mifflin County School District in Lewistown, PA. He was elected Superintendent of the Lampeter-Strasburg School District in Lampeter, PA, in 1968, and served in this role until his retirement in 1996.

Mel was passionate about education and served as President of the Lancaster County branch of the University of Pennsylvania School Study Council. He also sought to study and explore educational systems in other countries. In 1972, he received a scholarship to study education behind the Iron Curtain in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Russia. In 1974, he received a Fulbright Fellowship to learn about public education in India. Mel hosted slide shows after these trips, and he delighted his listeners with stories about curricula and the inspiring teachers he met so far from home. Under his leadership at Lampeter-Strasburg, the campus was expanded, and he initiated many progressive and technical innovations.

Mel was also dedicated to the greater community. He served on the boards of the North Museum and the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was active in the Lions Club, Rotary International, and Wesley United Methodist Church in Strasburg. He loved to bowl, hunt, fish, play bridge, pool, and golf with his friends. He was a poet at heart and a man of ideals, which he spun into his opening remarks at L-S every fall, and the poems and song lyrics he wrote for enjoyment.

Melvin was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, in 2016. Surviving are his son Kyle of Charlotte, NC; daughter Elise and her husband David of Blue Bell, PA; granddaughter Gwyneth and her husband Liam of Portland, OR, and grandson Joel of Arlington, VA.

A celebration of Mel’s life with The Rev. Robert Garvey officiating will take place at Charles F. Snyder III Funeral Home & Crematory, 2421 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street, PA 17584, at 4:45 PM, with his family greeting guests from 4:00 to 4:45 PM, on Saturday, July 11, 2026. Private interment will be in Strasburg Cemetery.

Please omit flowers and kindly consider a memorial contribution in Mel’s name to the Lampeter-Strasburg Educational Foundation. Checks can be made payable to "L-S Educational Foundation" with "Honoring Melvin Rosier" on the memo line and mailed to:

Lampeter-Strasburg School District
L-S Educational Foundation c/o Amanda Allison
1632 Book Road
Lancaster, PA 17602

Mel loved Lampeter-Strasburg and will forever be a Pioneer.