John Henry Wasserlein Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Rye - John Henry Wasserlein, 76, of Rye, passed away Sunday evening, February 4th, 2018, after a well-fought battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Joliet, Ill. on July 25, 1941 a son of the late Henry George and Dorothy (Brink) Wasserlein. John graduated from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Mechanical Engineer. While there, he attended ROTC and was a competitive rower, ending his senior year as the stroke of the Varsity boat. Later he would graduate from Harvard Business School (PMD). John served his country as an Officer in the US Army for 2 years, rising to Captain, and training the 101st Airborne in shooting and marksmanship. For 25 years, John was with Boise Cascade, first as Vice-President of the Specialty Paperboard Division, and rising to President and Director of Boise Cascade Canada and Senior Vice-President of Boise Cascade Inc. The next 5 years were spent as President, CEO and Director of Fraser Papers, Inc. Of the many professional honors he received, his pride was the Executive Eagle Pulp and Paper Association Safety Award. For many years, John was a mentor to young entrepreneurs with MIT’s Venture Mentoring Service. He was an active investor in numerous startups, always striving to bring innovative technology to market. John was an accomplished wood worker, turning many bowls and building furniture. He was an avid bicyclist, golfer and traveler. John was loved and survived by: his wife Lucille Braun, Rye, NH; son John Wasserlein Jr. (Debra), Floral City, FL; daughters Heather Wasserlein, Palo Alto, CA and Deborah Wasserlein (Chad Jones), Woodinville, WA; step-daughters Alexis Braun, Mill Valley, CA and Ainsley Braun, Mountain View, CA; step-son Ashton Braun, Sausalito, CA; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother Ted Wasserlein (Kate), North Augusta, SC; and sister-in-law Peggy Wasserlein, Syracuse, UT. In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his brother Bob Wasserlein. Visitation will be held at Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory, 811 Lafayette Rd., Hampton, NH on February 24th from 10 to 11am. A Celebration of Life will follow at 11am in the funeral home. At the conclusion of the service an informal reception will be held at the Wentworth By The Sea Country Club, 60 Wentworth Rd., Rye, NH. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to fund Parkinson’s Research in the MIT Graybiel Lab, MIT Office of Memorial Gifts, 600 Memorial Drive W98-526, Cambridge, MA 02139; or online by clicking here.

John Henry Wasserlein

July 25, 1941 - February 4, 2018