James L. Sieber

James L. Sieber PHD, 83, of the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown, PA passed away peacefully on October 8, 2020 at the Masonic Village Health Center.  He was born in Nova Scotia of American parents:  Rev. H. Wilson Sieber and an elementary school teacher, Mary Speer Sieber McClure.  He is survived by his wife, of 11 years, Carole A Bingham Grissinger Sieber whom he married January 20, 2009.  Jim is survived by stepbrother George L. McClure, stepchildren Lynn Grissinger Harrell and Scott Grissinger and by niece Beth Sieber and nephew Bob Sieber.  Additionally, he is survived by niece Angela McClure Green, nephews Timothy McClure and Christopher McClure; sisters-in-law Millie Sieber and Alice McClure.

He is preceded in death by his parents, stepfather William A. McClure, brother Rev. Graeme W. Sieber, stepdaughter Janis Grissinger, stepbrothers N. Frank McClure, and Alfred A. McClure.

Jim attended the Mifflin, Blairs Mills, and Orbisonia public schools, graduated in mathematics and physics from Shippensburg State Teachers College, now Shippensburg University, and earned his M.A. and Ph. D. in mathematics from The Pennsylvania State University.  Further study and research were conducted at the University of Oklahoma, the University of Tennessee and Edinburgh (Scotland) University.  

Following graduate assistantship teaching at The Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Sieber spent much of his career as a member of the Shippensburg University’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science faculty where his contributions included, department chair for 21 years.  Leading the development of undergraduate liberal arts majors in both mathematics and computer science and graduate majors in mathematics and computer science, he also served as acting director of the computer center, director of one of the first computer camps in the nation for secondary school students, and directed five National Science Foundation Institutes for Secondary School Teachers.  His service to Shippensburg University also included serving the Alumni Association as a member of the Board and as Alumni President.

Other professional contributions include a number of publications in mathematics and computer science, numerous papers at professional meetings, president of the Central Pennsylvania Mathematics Association, chairperson of the Susquehanna Valley Chapter for the Association for Computing Machinery, and on the Executive Board of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  Community contributions include serving as an elder in the Middle Spring Presbyterian Church in Shippensburg, PA: for many years as singletree or chairman of the Singles Ministry of the Shippensburg Presbyterian Church; and on the Shippensburg Historical Society Board of Directors.

Masonically, he was a member of the planning committee of the Pennsylvania Lodge of Research, its Warrant Junior Warden, its third Worshipful Master in 2003 and Treasurer for many years.  He previously served as the presiding officer of Cumberland Valley Lodge No. 315 F & AM, Valley Forest No. 145, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, and the Scottish Rite Club, of  Shippensburg, PA; the York Rite bodies of Chambersburg, PA; and Erin Council No. 6, Knight Masons; Trinity Conclave, Red Cross of Constantine; North Star No. 12, Royal Ark Mariners, serving as secretary; Council of Princes of Jerusalem 16th Degree, AASR; and Constans Council No. 239, Allied Masonic Degrees (AMD), all of Harrisburg, PA.  Other Masonic memberships and positions include all the Scottish Rite Bodies in the Valley of Harrisburg AASR, serving on the Director of Work’s staff; Zembo Shrine, AAONMS; Pennsylvania College Societas Rosicrucians Civitatibus Foederatis serving as secretary; charter member of Benjamin Franklin Council No. 404, AMD of Chambersburg; and as an honorary member of Lux Ex Tenebris Council No. 176, AMD of Allentown.  He is a member of KYCH and is an Honorary Member 33rd degree of Supreme Council, NMJ.  He belongs to several Masonic research societies and has published several papers.

He received the Master Scholar Certificate of Masonic Knowledge from the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge and served on Pennsylvania Grand Lodge Committees for The Pennsylvania Freemason, the Academy of Masonic Knowledge, and Higher Education Gifts and Loans.  Although authoring articles on historical and general Freemasonry in addition to mathematics, he considered the mathematics of Freemasonry as a specialty and regularly gave talks on historical and cultural subjects.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Employee Appreciation Fund at Masonic Villages, C/O Human Resources, One Masonic Drive, Elizabethtown, PA 17022, or to Parkinson Disease & Movement Disorders Center 330 South 9th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Arrangements are being handled by the Miller-Finkenbinder Funeral Home in Elizabethtown.  Services are pending.

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