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Late county commissioner remembered

23NASSBERG

Richard T. Nassberg cut a distinct figure around Lycoming County, always attired in a suit, an ever-present pipe jutting from his mouth, the presence of a man musing over the matter or situation at hand.

As a Lycoming County commissioner from 2000 to 2008, his voice was that of an articulate and educated man serious about the business at hand.

“He was a unique guy,” said Rebecca Burke, who served as a county commissioner with Nassberg.

Nassberg recently died at age 75 while traveling in Egypt.

Burke remembered him as someone who cared about the county.

“Often times, he was very pensive about actions that were being considered,” she recalled. “He was very well respected by the employees. There was a mutual respect with him and the employees.”

Lycoming County Commissioner Rick Mirabito said Nassberg was a “highly intelligent person” and highly principled.

“Even when someone disagreed with him, he was willing to listen to different points of view,” he said. “He would try to come to an agreement by having dialogue.”

Mirabito said Nassberg was an advocate for programs for people who were often overlooked.

“I felt that he was a very interesting person,” former Lycoming County Commissioner Ernie Larson said. “I worked with him for four years, and he was a gentlemen in every sense of the word. We all know that Dick was a very intelligent person.”

Although Larson was a Democrat and Nassberg a Republican, party differences didn’t seem to get in the way of them conducting the county’s business together.

“I enjoyed working with him for four years,” Larson said. “Politics never really entered into it. We had discussions on things. He had his thoughts, and I had mine. At the end of the day, we worked things out.”

Former Lycoming County Commissioner Joseph Neyhart recalled working with Nassberg and sometimes disagreeing on matters.

“His outlook on things was a little different. He was well-educated. He saw things from a different plateau than I did,” he said. “It was challenging at times working with Dick, but we worked things out.”

Nassberg, who had been an attorney in Texas prior to moving to Williamsport with his family, was a graduate of the Wharton School of Finance, University of Pennsylvania and its law school. He practiced corporate banking law.

“He was also an incredibly accomplished art photographer,” Mirabito said. “He traveled a lot. He had been to many parts of the world. That gave him an understanding of people.”

Charles Hall, longtime aide to state Rep. Garth Everett, R-Muncy, said when Nassberg wanted something done, he tried hard to make it happen.

“Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, you had to respect his passion,” he said.

Burke said when it came to considering the county budget, Nassberg left no stone unturned.

“Dick was incredibly intensive to the fine details of the county budget,” she said.

Mirabito said Nassberg played a big part in helping the county establish a women’s intermediate punishment unit at the county’s Pre-Release Center. Prior to that, the county was paying to have female inmates housed in Clinton County.

He noted Nassberg’s role in expanding 911 service, too.

“Dick was someone who gave leadership to this county,” Mirabito said.

Nassberg simply loved the area, too, Mirabito said.

Nassberg was a frequent presence at fires and vehicle crashes where emergency workers were busy doing their jobs.

“He was keenly interested in law enforcement and the safety of law enforcement,” Burke said.

Larson said he’ll always remember Nassberg for welcoming him to the board of commissioners after his successful election.

“He treated me with respect,” he said. “He showed me the ropes from one end to the other.”

In recent years, Larson would run into Nassberg at the Saturday morning Farmers Markets in Williamsport.

“Every time I saw him, we would have a five-minute conversation. He was always easy to talk to,” he said.

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