John Russell Nye Sr.

John R. Nye, Sr., 85, of Lebanon, passed away peacefully on November 30, 2025. He was the son of the late James P. and Margaret J. (Miller) Nye. He is survived by his son John R., II (Kathi), and daughter Marganne Hoffman (J.B.) both of Lebanon. In addition, he has four grandchildren, Nicole, Zachary, Claudia and Matthew and three great-grandchildren, Olivia, Wesley, and Lainey. He is also survived by his brother Jeffrey G. Nye (Janet) of Mechanicsburg, PA. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathleen D. (Schwartz) and his brother, David O. Nye.

John graduated Lebanon Senior High School in 1958 and retired in 2002 as a Lead Designer for Hershey Foods Corporation, a position he loved. His work family made the job even more enjoyable. He often said “even if they stopped paying me, I would still go to work!” He was a life-long member of the 5th Ward Athletic Club and the Friendship Fire Company and held many leadership positions at Tabor United Church of Christ in Lebanon. He was a regular at the Brass Section at Horn and Horn Restaurant and then Eli’s along with the rest of the Farkle Family. Those that were fortunate to attend John’s 50th birthday party will never forget it!

A founding member of the “Lebanon Over 40” Facebook page, John enjoyed organizing dinners at Heisey’s Diner for members to gather and talk about Lebanon’s past. A true Lebanon historian, he could tell you what business was on which corner and what were the next three stores to replace it.

John enjoyed working in his gardens and trips to Ocean City, MD and Las Vegas. He was happiest when he was spending time with friends and family, enjoying a filet mignon medium-rare “under-line rare” and an Old-Fashion. He thoroughly enjoyed visiting with his three grandpups - Lexie, Mollie, and Sadie and how happy they always were to see him. In his final two years, John moved to StoneRidge Retirement Community and enjoyed new friendships and daily walks where he gave the thumbs-up to everyone he greeted.

A Memorial Service will be held in the Rohland Funeral Home Inc. 508 Cumberland Street, Lebanon, PA, 17042 on Monday, December 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM with a visitation from 9:30 AM until the time of the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate to MSH Penn State Children’s Hospital or the charity of your choice.