John Barry Wasser

The Port Neches community mourns the death of well-known civic leader, John Barry Wasser. After a brief but valiant battle with lung cancer, Wasser passed away on November 25, 2010. Wasser, 65, a native of Lyons, a rural Upstate New York farming community, was born December 18, 1944, to Dean and Hortense (Reynolds) Wasser. He relocated to Beaumont, Texas, in September 1966, when he entered the then Lamar State College of Technology. Following graduation from Lamar, Wasser joined the staff of the newly formed South East Texas Regional Planning Commission in June 1971, and was later named Director of Planning. In July of 1975, he was named Deputy Director with broad responsibilities in financial, budgetary and personnel matters. In 1985, he assumed the additional duties as the agency's criminal justice coordinator. After retirement from the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission in September 1998, he continued service to the community as chairman, treasurer, volunteer, etc., for numerous organizations in the Beaumont and Mid-County area and won numerous awards for his efforts. Wasser was an alumnus of Leadership Beaumont and Leadership South East Texas. He served as president of the Beaumont Jaycees and the original Griffing Park Lions Club and currently as Treasurer for the Metro Lions Club. He also served as Chairman of the Administrative Council of the old St. Mark's First United Methodist Church of Port Arthur and currently was completing a term on the Board of Trustees for the United Methodist Temple. Wasser served as a member of the Leadership South East Texas Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the Mid and South Jefferson County Crime Stoppers, Inc., the Port Neches Planning and Zoning Commission, the Southeast Texas Law Enforcement Council and the Advisory Board of the Lamar University Regional Police Academy. He also volunteered as treasurer of the Port Neches Little League and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Port Neches Pony Colt Baseball League. As a volunteer mediator for the Jefferson County Dispute Resolution Center, he was awarded the honor of Mediator of the Year. He currently served as the Treasurer of the Board of the Foundation of South East Texas and had served as Chairman of the Jefferson County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council. He was currently completing his second term on the Port Neches City Council and was a representative on the Port Neches-Groves ISD Drug Free Schools board and had served as a community liaison on the Port Neches Middle School campus Improvement Committee. Wasser received an A.A.S. degree (1964) in business management from Delhi College, Delhi, New York, and B.B.A. and M.B.A. degrees (1969 and 1971) from Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. He had been a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas since 1983. He moved to the Mid-County area in 1980 after his marriage to Dana (Morgan) Wasser, and after retirement in 1998, became "Mr. Mom" to son Clint, while continuing his volunteer service to the community through RSVP. Many young persons will remember his face on those baseball fields, soccer complexes, and as a chaperone on school field trips. He was the Treasurer of the Port Arthur Commodores, organizing dinners for the organization at the Beau Reve and active in the Second Saturday Night Dinner Club at the Pompano and an associate member of the Port Arthur College Alumni Association and the Mid-Jefferson County Retired School Personnel. He greatly enjoyed his monthly "Law Enforcement Breakfast Club," where he and son Aaron, a Beaumont police officer, were able to continue relationships with retired and current law enforcement leaders of Jefferson and Orange counties. He enjoyed all publications of world and international politics and events as well as of stocks and finances and was able to provide a wealth of knowledge and advice in those fields to his organizations and close friends and acquaintances. A celebration of life service for John will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at the United Methodist Temple in Port Arthur. A visitation for family and friends will be Saturday from 12:00 noon until service time at the church. A private burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery. John's greatest heartbreak has been the loss of his son Clint in 2005. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Dana Wasser of Port Neches, son Aaron and Brandi Wasser of Nederland, brother, Dr. Thomas Wasser of Lyons, N.Y., and granddaughter Abigail Wasser of Nederland. In lieu of flowers John preferred that donations be made that would improve and assist the community, worthwhile organizations, and his church. Some of his favorites were The Clint Wasser Memorial Scholarship Fund (Five Point Credit Union Acct. #90083), The United Methodist Temple Scholarship Fund, Lions International Eye Bank, the Foundation of South East Texas, CASA of Southeast Texas, or your favorite charity.