Michael John Vanaskie

Dr. Michael J. Vanaskie, PhD, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on May 26, 2025, at the age of 78. Born in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, Michael devoted his life to the well-being of others, leaving a legacy of compassion, wisdom, and unwavering love for his family.

Michael earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Scranton and went on to complete a PhD in Psychology at the University of Utah. His professional life was dedicated to helping young people as a clinical psychologist specializing in the care of children and teens. He raised his family with his wife of 57 years, Charlotte, in New Hampshire, where they lived in Concord, NH for 40 years. He founded a successful family counseling practice there in the 1990s, with one other clinician, and his supportive wife as the bookkeeper and business manager, which expanded and thrived, and is continuing to serve the community to this day. He was widely respected for his empathy, dedication, and deep understanding of the challenges faced by those he served.

Beyond his professional achievements, Michael found great joy in life's simple and meaningful pleasures. He was an avid golfer (including impressively completing a streak of golfing at least once a month for a consecutive 199 months), an enthusiastic solver of crosswords and puzzles, a prolific reader, and a lifelong lover of mysteries. He found happiness in the kitchen, often sharing meals made with love (especially if he could have the kitchen to himself, where Charlotte would amusedly hear him listening to music and singing while he cooked). He expressed his artistic side through making beautiful stained-glass creations, which adorn the windows of the family’s homes.

He was also deeply committed to staying active throughout his life, including participating in the 1980s running boom with 10 Ks galore and running the grueling Mt. Washington Road Race to the top of the highest mountain in New England. He ignited a love of athletics in his daughters with driveway basketball, teaching them tennis, coaching softball, having them ride their bikes with him on runs, and learning to ski as an adult so he could accompany them on the NH slopes, in addition to never missing a track meet, volleyball game, or field hockey game to cheer on his daughters with his wife. Above all, Michael cherished time spent with his family, especially his six beloved grandchildren, whom he adored beyond measure.

As a lifelong Phillies fan, he was known in both Concord and his more recent hometown of Tampa for his iconic red Phillies hat that he wore with pride regardless of how the team was faring that season, and loved the conversations it would spark.

Michael was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his devoted wife, Charlotte; his three loving daughters, Amy (Lance) Miller, Michelle (Charlie) Szekeres, and Katie (Dan) Masters; his sisters, Susan Vanaskie Ward, Mary Lou Osevala; his brothers William Vanaskie, Thomas Vanaskie, John Vanaskie, and Daniel Vanaskie; and his cherished grandchildren, Felicia, Jake, Brody, Nina, Zach, and Sadie, who brought him endless pride and joy.

Michael’s warmth, intelligence, gentle spirit, good nature, and the sparkle in his blue eyes will be profoundly missed by all who knew him. His memory will live on in the lives he touched, the family he nurtured, and the example he set.

The family will be holding a celebration of life in August in Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Michael’s name to The Friends Program, an organization in Concord, NH, with which Michael was involved, which serves at-risk youth and families. https://www.friendsprogram.org/