John L. Offner

John L. Offner, 95, of Chambersburg, died Thursday, July 10, 2025 at his home.

He was born April 11, 1930, the son of Herman L. Offner and Helen S. Offner.

John graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 1950 and earned a Ph.D. in U.S. history in 1957. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 and was stationed in West Germany. In 1956, he entered the Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer. Over the next 10 years he served in Washington, D.C., Mumbai, India, and Paris, France.

In 1965 he joined the Shippensburg University History Department, where he taught for 32 years. In 1992, the University of North Carolina published his monograph, “An Unwanted War: The Diplomacy of the United States and Spain over Cuba, 1895-1898.” While at Shippensburg, he helped to establish the faculty union, APSCUF, and served for two terms as its president and held many additional APSCUF offices.

He retired in 1997 and spent the next 10 years assisting two service organizations. He worked in the Shippensburg food pantry and Shippensburg Borough tree committee. He helped to select, plant, and maintain many of Shippensburg’s borough trees. In addition, he managed a tree farm in Erie County where over the course of 30 years planted about 25,000 timber seedlings.

He is survived by his wife, Vera Blinn Reber; four daughters, Judy, Jane, Ann, and Stella; seven grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home & Crematorium, Inc. Per John’s wishes, there will be no public viewing or visitation. A celebration of life will be held at Menno Haven, Chambersburg at a later date and time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to primary organizations that John supported: Shippensburg University Foundation/Wood Honors College General Scholarship, 500 Newburg Rd., Shippensburg, PA 17257, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, 3908 Corey Road, Harrisburg, PA 17109, Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741, or WITF, 4801 Lindle Rd., Harrisburg, PA 17111.