Obituaries
Paul B. Sensenig, 86
August 15, 2014
Paul B. Sensenig, 86, died August 15, 2014 at Lancaster General Hospital. Born in East Petersburg, Pennsylvania he was the son of the late Elmer F. and Florence (Brubaker) Sensenig. A resident of Woodcrest Villa, Lancaster, Paul is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Lorraine (Mellinger) Sensenig.
A graduate of East Hempfield High School, Elizabethtown College, and a veteran of the U.S. Army, Paul was employed by the Centennial School District in Bucks County for over 30 years, but was a teacher all of his life. He enriched many lives in the classroom and imparted his love of humanity to any student who was receptive to the message. Former students maintained contact with Paul for years after they left his classroom. He shaped young minds and grew future leaders.
Paul was a lifelong patron of the musical arts. He attended performances of the Philadelphia Orchestra for decades. He was a devoted opera enthusiast, attending live performances in Lancaster, Philadelphia, New York, Frankfurt, Rome, and Milan. In later years, visitors and callers would often hear Paul’s opera recordings playing in the background. Lorraine was his constant companion in music appreciation.
An avid fan of baseball, Paul loved the Lancaster Barnstormers, the Philadelphia Phillies, and was learning to love the Washington Nationals…who were closing on first place in his affections.
Paul aged, but never grew old. At 82, he embarked on Facebook. At age 84, he decided he needed wide-band Internet access for his research and composing innumerable Letters to the Editor. He loved his New Yorker magazine…and always read the cartoons first.
Paul lived his life as a creative and liberal thinker. He was admired by many, and loved by even more.
In addition to his wife, Paul is survived by a daughter, Allegra Sensenig, wife of Chris Leibengood, of Arlington, Virginia; two sisters: Evelyn Sensenig of Lancaster and Miriam Gingerich, wife of Owen Gingerich, of Cambridge, Massachusetts; three nephews, their spouses and children.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers the family asks that contributions be made in Paul’s name to the Mennonite Central Committee, P.O. Box 500, Akron, PA 17501, or online at www.mcc.org.
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Condolences to the Family
August 20, 2016
Mr. Sensenig was the best teacher I ever had. I had him for 6th Grade at McDonald Elementary school. He would let us earn money by erasing the chalk board or running errands for him. The money was then used to purchase the paperback books that were sold through a flyer. Since my parents did not have the money for me to purchase them being able to earn it in class was a great thing. Mr. Sensenig even let three of us use this money to go on a trip with him. He picked us up at the school on a Saturday and took us to Dutch Wonderland and to an Amish farm. It was the best time ever. I will never forget asking him to use the bathroom and if you said can I go to the bathroom he would say I don’t know can you? You had to ask may I go to the bathroom. I will remember that for the rest of my life. What a great, great teacher and kind man. I will never forget you.
Debbie Beans
April 12, 2016
Dear Sensenig Family:
Mr. Sensenig was by far the best teacher I have ever known. I was in his 6th grade class at Klinger Jr. High (a long time ago). I was thinking of him just recently and decided to search his name on the Internet. I’m so sorry that I missed an opportunity to say hello.
My junior high year was a difficult one, as Jr. High can be for most kids. My parents separated and I loved hearing Mr. Sensenig’s stories of Allegra. I knew she was a very fortunate young girl to have him as a father.
He encouraged interest in the arts and I am forever grateful to him for that. He was so thoughtful to send a postcard of a trip you made to Mexico one summer and he talked about climbing the Mexican pyramids. What fun!
I find humor in his coming to appreciate the Nationals, as I have been living in the Baltimore/Washington area for many years. However, I’m still a Phillies fan.
My sincere condolences to you and your family.
Pam McLaughlin (Booher)
January 14, 2016
August 28, 2014
Dear Lorraine,
i was so sorry to hear of Paul’s death. Time spent with your family is among the earliest and fondest memories of my childhood.
Your family, especially you and Allegra, are in my thoughts.
Love, Colleen
August 27, 2014
Dear Sensenig Family,
I am so very sorry for your loss. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Losing someone you love is the most difficult circumstance any of us will ever have to deal with. May you find comfort in the loving promise of our Heavenly Father to reunite us with our dead loved ones by means of a resurrection on a paradise earth filled with peace, happiness, and perfect health for everyone in the very near future. (Acts 24:15; Psalms 37:11,29,34; Isaiah 33:24) I pray that these trustworthy promises from God’s word the Bible will bring you a measure of comfort and hope for the future. My deepest sympathy to you. ~Khrystalle Harris
August 26, 2014
I, too, was a student of Mr. Sensenig for both 5th and 6th grade. He was a stand out teacher and I have many many memories of being in his classroom. Like his other former students, his rendition of “The Bells” is front and foremost in my mind. His “Who in the World” activity was one of my favorites and I have recreated it in my own classroom beginning with my first class in 1978. So this great idea of Mr. Sensenig’s has lived on all of these years up to my current class this year. One other fond memory I have of being in his class is sitting under a tree outside of Shelmire Elementary on a beautiful spring day composing Haiku poetry. Thank you to a great man who touched many lives and who personally influenced my own teaching. My condolences to his family. And to Allegra….know that he was one proud father who loved sharing stories of you with us, his students.
August 26, 2014
And one more addition…Yes and The Bells! I can still hear him reading that! And Whrre in the World and Who in the World. He was one of the best. Paula Hill
August 26, 2014
I am sorry to hear abt the passing of Paul Sensenig. I was a former student of his in 5th and 6th grade at Shelmire. I remember being introduced to Humanities and the Amish and Shakespeare by him. I remember the classroom always smelled of coffee! And I remember how proud he was when his daughter was born. I subbed in Centennial after college and saw him then. Just a few weeks ago I was asking abt Paul and wondered if he came back to Lancaster. Funny thing, I too became a teacher and moved to Lancaster 37 years ago. I tried to google to see if I cld find him and even was visiting Woodcrest, but I didn’t know that was where he was. So sorry when I saw the news today. Peace to your family. He will always be remembered. Paula Hill
August 26, 2014
I have had the priveledge of getting to know Paul through the years. Every 4 to 5 weeks seeing Paul I heard the story about his encounter in the grocery store where a child thought he was Santa Claus because of his beard. He will be greatly missed by all! Brenda Steffy
August 26, 2014
Although it has been over 50 years since I was in his classroom at Shelmire, I have always recalled Mr. Sensenig as one of the most influential teachers I ever had, including K through graduate school. He taught me, in sixth grade, a great appreciation of national and world news, art, chess and, of course, Edgar Allen Poe. Who could forget his rendition of Bells! What a wonderful man and great teacher. I would have really enjoyed thanking him personally at any time over the years and wish I had. With sympathy for all his family and friends. Dale Hicks
