Lester Erich
February 14, 2010

Service Times
Funeral 11 AM Thursday
Calling hours Wednesday 6-8 PM in Long Funeral Home and Thursday 10-11 AM in Church

Service Place
First Presbyterian Church

Cemetery
Northampton Memorial Shrine

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Lester C. Erich

    Lester C. Erich, 93, formerly of Bethlehem, passed away on Sunday, February 14, 2010, at Phoebe Home, Allentown.  He was the husband of the late Leatrice (Seiple) Erich, and the late Margurette (Custer) Erich.

    Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Charles and Annie (Kleintop) Erich. He graduated from Liberty High School, and then attended Lehigh University, earning his BS in Chemical Engineering and his MS and PhD in Physics.   He taught  physics at Lafayette College and Moravian College, retiring in 1982. He wrote many papers during his years of research, and enjoyed working with NASA and Bell Labs on special projects, primarily in laser research. He was vice president of the Sigma XI chapter of the American Physics Society, secretary-treasurer and past president of American Association of Physics Teachers, and was treasurer of the Faculty Club at Lafayette College.  He greatly enjoyed music and painting, and was a member of the Bach Choir, the Kittatinny Art Club, the Paint Box Art Club, where he was a past president and secretary, and the Bethlehem Palette Club, where he was a former board member.  He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, and formerly a member of Ebenezer Bible Fellowship Church in Bethlehem Township and the Non-Sectarian Fellowship Church in Phillipsburg, NJ.

    Survivors: son Lester Erich, Jr, of South Plainfield, NJ; Step-daughter Virginia Shaffer and her husband Jack of Pen Argyl;  grandsons Matthew Geiger and his wife Tricia, Phillip Geiger and his wife Renee; brother Norman Erich of Wind Gap; sister Ethel Williams of Green Valley, AZ.

    Services: Funeral Service at 11 AM Thursday at First Presbyterian Church, 2344 Center St. Bethlehem.  Calling hours will be held  in the Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden St, Bethlehem, on Wednesday evening from 6 to 8 PM, and also at church on Thursday morning from 10 AM until time of services.  Online condolences may be made at www.longfuneralhome.com

   Contributions:  Phoebe Home, 1925 Turner St., Allentown, PA  18104, or to First Presbyterian Church, 18017.