2003 Meritorious Hall of Fame

Lester G. Abeloff

Lester Abeloff is a 1935 graduate of East Stroudsburg High School. He attended East Stroudsburg State Teachers College (now East Stroudsburg University), where he earned a degree and teacher certification in secondary education, social studies and mathematics. A teacher, Les joined the Army Air Corps during World War II and received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He flew 56 missions in the famed B-17 Flying Fortress in action in the North Africa Theater. He served as lead navigator in the 2nd Bomb Group and in the first high altitude raid over Rome. Les was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart. Following the war, Les remained in the USAF Reserves, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1950, Les became an auto dealer in Stroudsburg, acquiring a struggling Pontiac and GMC dealership. A highly successful businessman, Les garnered numerous sales awards from the companies his dealership represented. He acquired Nissan in 1970 and expanded to Abeloff Pontiac-GMC-Nissan.

Since then, Les and his wife of 60 years, Clementine, have become noted philanthropists in the Poconos and in Boca Raton, Florida. Les was named recipient of the 2000 Eberley Award for Philanthropy by the State System of Higher Education in Harrisburg. Several Buildings and other facilities at both East Stroudsburg University and Pocono Medical Center are named in honor of the Abeloffs' generous contributions. Numerous local organizations have benefited from their many gifts.

Alex L. (Buzz) Bensinger

Alex Bensinger is a 1939 graduate of East Stroudsburg High School. He graduated from Peddie Preparatory in 1940 and Dartmouth College in 1944. He received his law degree from Temple University in 1949. During WWII, Alex served as a Staff Sergeant with the Army Air Corps.

In 1950, Alex was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar and began a general law practice in Stroudsburg, a family partnership that has operated continuously ever since. Alex was the East Stroudsburg Area School District Solicitor from 1958 to 1982 and served as solicitor for the Pocono Mountain Area School District for several years. In 1974, Alex served as President of the Pennsylvania School Boards Solicitors Association. He was the solicitor for Monroe County from 1976 to 1980 and also served as President of the Monroe County Bar Association in 1979 and 1980.

A past chairperson for the Citizens' Day Conference on Law, Alex has given law lectures at many different places, including the Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Dartmouth College, and East Stroudsburg University. He was also the editor of the Bench and Bar law column in the Pocono Record and authored other law-related newspaper articles.

Alex is a co-founder, officer and director of Camelback Ski Corporation as well as an officer and director in several local real estate companies and three non-profit industrial development agencies. He is a founder and officer of the Pennsylvania Ski and Winter Sports Museum. He is also an office holder and choir member of the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain and served as president of the Monroe County Crippled Children, Monroe County Bar Association, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, and Stroudsburg
Rotary Club.

Kelly Lewis

Kelly Lewis is a 1982 graduate of East Stroudsburg High School, where he served as class president. He continued his education at Bloomsburg University, where he earned a degree in 1986 in Finance and served as the Student Government Treasurer. In 1993, Kelly earned a law degree and an MBA (JD/MBA) from the Widener University School of Law.

After serving as the Monroe County Controller from 1996-2000, Kelly made the transition from county to state elected office, being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2000. He has earned a rapidly growing reputation as a dynamic and productive public servant in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 189th Legislative District, and has been very active in building a strong economic and social foundation for the people of Monroe and Pike Counties. He is widely recognized as one of the leading advocates for school property tax reform.

Currently, Representative Lewis serves on the Finance, Judiciary, Labor Relations, Aging and Older Services and Legislative Budget and Finance Committees. He remains an active member of many community organizations.

Walter (Bud) Stann

Walter "Bud" Stann is a 1963 graduate of East Stroudsburg High School where he was president of his senior class, a member of the National Honor Society, Scholar-Athlete of the year, and on the Athletic Council. He co-captained wrestling, football and track teams, earning a total of 11 varsity letters.
Bud attended the United States Military Academy as a member of the class of 1967, where his promising athletic career ended with a devastating leg injury in his second year. After completing his service time, Bud field-engineered the construction of the Pocono International Raceway with Monroe Engineering.

Bud then went on to distinguish himself with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. He was on the Interstate 80 Improvement Task Force, and earned a number of professional certifications. After being responsible for local roadway systems as Maintenance Manager IV of the combined Monroe and Carbon Counties Organization, Bud retired in 1998 after 31 years of service.

During his career, Bud served on the Monroe County Beautification and Litter Control Program, United Way, Monroe County 2020, Vo-Tech Advisory Committee, American Heart Association, and the East Stroudsburg Area School District Halls of Fame Program.

W. JACK WALLIE

W. Jack Wallie is a 1957 graduate of East Stroudsburg High School, where served as class president from grades 10-12. He was on the Student Council and received the Good Citizenship Award. Jack is a graduate of Churchman Business College (1959), Pennsylvania Bankers School-Bucknell University (1961), Bank Administration Institute-University of Richmond (1963), Bank of Administration Institute-University of Wisconsin (1968), The National Commercial Lending School-University of Oklahoma (1975) and The Stonier Graduate School of Banking-Rutgers University (1980).

Jack was honored in the 1973-74 edition of Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans and the 1974-75 edition of the Dictionary of International Biographies. He is a 1971 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for the Pocono Mountain Area sponsored by the Pocono Mountain Jaycees, and in 2001 he received special recognition from the Monroe County Commissioners for his dedication and commitment to Monroe County.

Jack began his career as a teller in 1959 at East Stroudsburg National Bank and in 1983 became the first full-time President of East Stroudsburg Savings Association. He has served on the East Stroudsburg Borough Council, as the auditor for East Stroudsburg Borough, as chairman of the Stroudsburg/East Stroudsburg Joint Zoning Codes Office, on the East Stroudsburg Civil Service Commission, as chairman of East Stroudsburg Railroad Station Building, as treasurer of East Stroudsburg Centennial Corp., as executive secretary/treasurer of Monroe County Planning Commission, as treasurer of Monroe County Bicentennial Committee, as a board member for the Pocono Mountain Center for the Arts, on the Pocono Mountain Chamber of Commerce board (of which he is currently an honorary member), as a board member for the United Way, on the Pocono Medical Center board; as a board member for the Pocono Mountain Industries, as a board member for the Economic Development Council of Northeast PA, as an instructor for the American Institute of Banking, as a board member of Lehigh Valley Area Savings League, as Lay Leader and Administrative Board Chairman for East Stroudsburg United Methodist Church, and various other local, state and federal boards. Jack was honored by the church for teaching Sunday school for over 30 years.