John A. (Jack) Yohe

John A. (Jack) Yohe, age 92, of Bristow Va., passed away on Saturday, March 25, 2017 at 8:30 pm at his daughter’s home in Bristow, VA after a brief illness.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Anna H. Yohe, who passed away on August 26, 2012, his parents, Arthur V. Yohe and Anna Yohe, one grandson, John A. Yohe, III, his brothers Arthur, Edward, and sister Anna Mae.
Survivors include his four children, Jack A. Yohe, Jr. of Herndon, VA, Marianne Y. Smith and husband, Frederick, of Bristow, VA, Alice Marie Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina and Joseph Yohe and wife, Ann, of New Smyrna Beach, Fla., his brothers James (Nancy) Yohe of South Bend Indiana, Joseph T. (Susan) Yohe of Annandale Va., and his sister, Sister Alice Yohe, SSJ of Scotch Plains, New Jersey; eight grandchildren, Patrick (Robyn) Smith, Douglas Smith, Elizabeth Ann (Jimmy) Hicks, Captain John Yohe, USMC, Michelle Smith, Katie Yohe, Michael Yohe and Anna-Katherine Yohe; five great-grandchildren Bridgette, Melissa, Benjamin, Jackson and Madelyn.
Born September 13, 1924 in Allentown Pa., he began his 55-year career in 1941 as a copy boy in the news room of The Morning Call while still in high school, where he later became a reporter and Edition Editor, all the while attending Muhlenberg College.
In May of 1957, Yohe and his family moved to Arlington Va., where he joined the staff of the Washington Evening Star as a Copy Editor, where he worked until 1961. In January of that year, shortly before the inauguration of John F. Kennedy, his hometown Congressman, Rep. Francis E. Walter, named him his press officer of his Washington Congressional Office. Yohe eventually became Walter’s Legislative Assistant where he played key roles in many important legislative matters, one of which was the establishment of the Delaware River Basin Compact, which included the States of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. After Walter’s death, Yohe spearheaded the designation and naming of the Bear Creek Damn, as the Francis E. Walter Damn. During his time with Representative Walter, Yohe became actively involved with the U.S. Federal Government in aeronautical matters. After a commercial airliner crash occurred in Richmond Va. on November 8, 1961 carrying 74 U.S. Army recruits, all whom perished and of which 29 were from Walter’s Pennsylvania district, Walter established a special congressional subcommittee and requested Yohe to direct an independent Congressional investigation of the carrier Imperial Airlines. Walter’s special subcommittee investigation sparked multiple new congressional hearings, which in the end resulted in amending the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, and in turn eliminated more than two-dozen airlines due to their questionable quality standards.
After Walter’s death in May of 1963, the Kennedy Administration appointed Yohe to the Civil Aeronautics Board as its Information Director, where throughout his tenure he received numerous aviation industry accolades.
In January 1970, he was named to be the Civil Aeronautics Board’s, Director of Consumer affairs and became the first consumer affairs appointment to a U.S. Federal Regulatory Agency. Based on the positive success of his consumer affairs activity for the CAB, the Ford Adminitration named Yohe to be the first Consumer Advocate of the CAB, where he established a reputation for being an outspoken supporter of consumers and their concerns when dealing with the Airline Industry. His Consumer Advocate Office wrote the first “Traveler’s Fly-Rights” booklet, which for many years and still is today printed by the US Government Printing Office. The CAB Consumer Advocates Office, which he led, was responsible for the CAB adopting many changes which protected not only air travelers, but also air shippers. Yohe had been the recipient of many government honors, which included his nomination for the National Civil Service League Career Award, along with the Civil Aeronautics Board Silver medal for meritorious service.
While residing in McLean, VA Yohe remained actively involved in youth programs within the community, serving as President of O’Connell High School’s Parent Teach Organization for two terms, the schools’ athletic council, and again as President for several terms of McLean’s Little League & Babe Ruth Baseball Leagues.
Upon his retirement from government service, Yohe returned to his native Allentown, PA where he became Executive Director of the Allentown Bethlehem Easton Airport (ABE). In this role, Yohe was responsible for the expansion of the facility in various transportation services for the benefit of both passengers and shippers. He was responsible for attracting Federal Express (FedEx), Union Pacific, and ITT Management to establish aviation headquarters at the Lehigh Facility. Under his direction, the airport grew from four to 13 airline carriers, while securing $20 million from the Federal Aviation Administration in discretionary fund, in addition to being awarded $10 million for an FAA air traffic control tower. During his tenure, he helped create Lehigh County Community College’s Aviation School at ABE airport.
His achievements at ABE earned him numerous honors and recognitions, which included the Bethlehem Pa. Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year Award and special recognition from the Commerce Plaza of Allentown, Pa.
Upon his retirement from ABE, as its Airport Director, Yohe was recognized by President George W. Bush, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner, and The Federal Aviation Administration for his achievements at ABE, all noting, that the airport under his guidance and direction had, emerged as one of the most important U.S. small airports in the nation.
Yohe was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church and a resident of Tribute Assisted Living at Heritage Hunt in Gainesville, VA. Previous affiliations include St. Thomas More Catholic Church (Allentown, PA), Allentown Diocese Catholic Service Board of Directors, the Muhlenberg College Board of Associates, the Good Shepherd Home Hospital and Rehabilitation Center’s President’s Advisory Board, the Wings Club of America and the Lehigh-Carbon Counties Vocational Technical School’s Advisory Board.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 12:00 Noon at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 1040 Flexer Avenue, Allentown, PA 18103 with Rev. Msgr. John P. Murphy officiating. The family will receive friends from 11:00 AM – 12:00 Noon.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to: DeSales University, Institutional Advancement Office, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034-9568 in loving memory of Jack Yohe. Condolences may be sent to: www.piercefh.com