Kenneth Ray Mechling, 86, of Clarion, PA, died April 26, 2024.

Born September 20, 1937, in Pattonville on the hill above Ford City, PA, he was the son of Robert Bruce and Kathryn E. Meixelberger Mechling.

Ken was married August 22, 1959 to his high school sweetheart Dorothy Jean "Dussie" Bower of Ford City, who survives. Also surviving are five children, Kenneth Mechling, Jr. (Kimberly) of Clarion, Dr. Kelly Mechling (James Culley) of Maine, Amy Mechling of Clarion, Kristine (David) Rupert of Portsmouth, NH, and Andrew Mechling (Kelly) of Newcastle, WA; seven grandchildren, Zachary Mechling of Clarion, Samantha Mechling of Clarion, Zane Mechling (Janet Hockman) of Shippenville, PA, Ashley Mechling of San Francisco, CA, Anthony Stewart (Abby Sjostrom) of Verona, PA, Raleigh Mechling (Ian Wienczkowski) of Pittsburgh, PA, and Varenna Mechling of Newcastle, WA; and five great grandchildren, Verra Mechling, Blair Mechling Dorsey, Hadley Mechling, Hayden Mechling, and Clive Stewart.

He is also survived by a sister, Marlene K. Furnish (Curtis) of Marienville, PA, and numerous nephews and nieces. In addition to his parents, Dr. Ken was preceded in death by one brother, Robert J. Mechling of Walk Chalk, PA.

Ken graduated from Ford City High School in 1955 where he was a standout football and baseball player. After high school, he turned down several football scholarships (including Clemson University) choosing instead to work for a year as a glassworker for PPG in Ford City and as a steelworker for the Youngstown Sheet and Tube in Youngstown, OH. He then worked his way through Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) holding such jobs as road and bridge construction and maintenance, dump truck driver, dining hall waiter, reader for blind students, Christmas toy salesman at Sears & Roebuck, and others.

While at Indiana, Ken played IUP football as a three-year letterman, served as class president, and graduated as a science and biology teacher in 1960. He received his master's degree in Biology from IUP in 1964, writing a research thesis on parasites in cottontail rabbits. Ken was awarded a Ph.D. in Science Education from Michigan State University in 1970, writing a dissertation on adoption of innovations in science education. He completed additional graduate studies at the University of Virginia, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Northern Illinois University, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of California, Berkeley.

He was a veteran of military service for 8 years, graduating as a Distinguished Military Student from IUP and serving as a Lieutenant on active duty in the U.S. Army during the Berlin Crisis in 1961-1962. After active duty, he rose to the rank of Captain and served as Commander of Co. B, 876th Combat Engineers of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He led his Armstrong County-based unit on a peacekeeping mission to Pittsburgh during the civil riots of 1968.

Dr. Mechling was a science teacher and football coach in Ford City from 1960-1965 and Professor of Biology and Science Education at Clarion University from 1966-1999. He served as Chair of the Department of Biology from 1980-1993. During his long tenure at Clarion, Dr. Mechling taught 40 different undergraduate and graduate courses and thousands of students. He was recognized as a dedicated and excellent teacher and received many awards including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Distinguished Teaching Chair, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Teaching Fellow Award, the Clarion University Distinguished Faculty Award, and the Kappa Delta Pi Distinguished Scholar Award.

He was a staunch advocate of collective bargaining and unionization of employees. During his early years, he was a member of the steelworkers and glassworkers unions. As a high school teacher, Ken served as president of the Ford City Union Education Association invoking a state arbitration panel to raise teacher salaries and benefits. At Clarion, he led early unionization and collective bargaining efforts while serving as the first president of the Clarion University Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF).

Dr. Mechling was an active leader in professional organizations. He served as Director of Teacher Education for the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and president of various organizations including the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association (PSTA), the Council for Elementary Science International, and others. He also served as president of the Clarion Borough Council. He received recognition for outstanding leadership including the Citation for Distinguished Service to Science Education (one of NSTA's highest awards), the Presidential Award for Continuing and Outstanding Leadership to Science Education presented by the National Science Supervisors Association, the Distinguished Fellows Award (PSTA's highest award), and the Citation for Achievement (IUP's highest award bestowed on distinguished alumni). In 2001, his hometown recognized Dr. Mechling's lifetime of accomplishments by inducting him into the Ford City Area Hall of Fame.

In the early 1980s, Dr. Mechling formed his own corporation, School Science Services, Inc. His work as an educational consultant and teacher took him all over the world, including 48 of the 50 United States and more than 60 countries around the world. His favorite places were Cappadocia in central Turkey, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya, Bali, Indonesia, and Caiscais, Portugal. He worked for many years as a consultant to the US Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) in England, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Panama, Cuba, and Iceland and with international schools in Russia, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, the Canary Islands, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Saipan, and the Pacific Islands of Samoa, Palau and Guam. In 2004, the Mediterranean Association of International Schools presented him with its ceremonial leadership sword in recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Education. Dr. Mechling estimated that he had traveled more than two million miles teaching science to teachers and school leaders.

One of Dr. Mechling's accomplishments of which he was most proud was the founding, with former state Representative David R. Wright and the Pennsylvania Higher Assistance Agency, of several statewide, first-ever programs that offered tuition-free, graduate-level courses to more than 30,000 Pennsylvania elementary and secondary teachers of science and technology. The programs, for which he served as Director, included the Pennsylvania Science Teacher Education Program (PA STEP), Information Technology for the Commonwealth (ITEC), and the Scholars in Education Award (SEA), all of which operated from 1982 through 1994 and were headquartered at Clarion University and in Shippenville, PA. The National Science Foundation described the Pennsylvania programs as "models for the nation."

Dr. Mechling authored and co-authored more than 70 publications including journal articles in Science and Children, School Science and Mathematics, The Principal and others, handbooks on science education leadership and environmental science, and the filmstrips Heat and Simple Machines for Coronet Films. He was a successful writer of more than 50 grant proposals to the National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Education, and other funding sources garnering more than $60 million for programs to improve science education in the United States and abroad.

Ken was a member of the Immaculate Conception (IC) Church in Clarion having served as president of the Parish Council, president of the IC PTO, president of the IC School Board, and Eucharistic Minister.

Most of all, Ken enjoyed spending time with his wife and family, and reading, snow skiing, motorcycling, boating, fishing, studying nature (particularly wildflowers), vacationing in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and working at the family cottage on the Clarion River.

At his request, there will be no public visitation. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. May 18, 2024, in the Immaculate Conception Church, Clarion, with Father Monty Sayers presiding. A private committal service with military honors will be accorded by the American Legion Post 66.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of the Goble Funeral Home in Clarion.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Immaculate Conception School in Clarion.