The Hon. Glenn E. Mencer, whose career in law ranged from
attorney to federal judge, died Tuesday in Bradford Regional
Medical Center.

He was 81.

Mencer, the last surviving member of the first panel of judges
appointed to the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, was a native
of Smethport.

He was remembered Tuesday for being a gentleman as well as a
mentor.

“He was a giant of the bar,” said McKean County President Judge
John Cleland, who had known Mencer since he was a boy. “He was
respected by lawyers and judges alike for his legal skill, his
friendship and his absolute integrity.

“He was a mentor to many of us and we will always appreciate
what he has done.

“He was always a familiar figure to me. I talked to him about
going to law school, job offers after law school and running for
judge,” Cleland said. “He was always a wise and accessible
counselor. I always appreciated his presence.”

A graduate of Smethport High School, Mencer spent two years in
the U.S. Army during World War II and was wounded in France.

After he returned from the war, Mencer attended the University
of Michigan.

Mencer practiced law in Eldred and was appointed to the post of
district attorney in 1956. In 1963, he was elected president judge
of the McKean Court of Common Pleas, where he served until his
appointment to the Commonwealth Court.

In 1982, Mencer was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, where
he served until his retirement in 1994.

His accomplishments were not lost on McKean County Judge John
Yoder.

“I am certainly deeply saddened by his passing,” Yoder said. “He
was a good person and a good friend to me. He was a much better
judge than I can hope to be.”

Yoder spoke at how remarkable Mencer’s accomplishments were,
from district attorney, judge for the Court of Common Pleas, a
charter member of the Commonwealth Court and a federal judge.

“Any of those achievements alone would be impressive,” Yoder
said. “To accomplish all in one lifetime is really amazing. We will
miss him greatly.”

Mencer was honored by the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania in
2003 for his 50 years as a member of the Bar Association.

The court held a special session in Mencer’s honor in Smethport,
the only time that has ever happened.

One of the key organizers of that special session was Judge
Robert Simpson Jr., who currently sits on the Commonwealth Court.
Simpson served as Mencer’s law clerk from 1976-1977.

“He was my mentor,” Simpson said, shaken by the news of Mencer’s
passing.

Whenever a law clerk’s time came to an end, Mencer would give
the person a signed picture of himself, a gesture Simpson continued
when he became a judge.

“I have it right here in front of me,” Simpson said.

“He was the most even-tempered person I ever met. For a judge,
that’s very, very important. I never was as good at that as he was.
He was a good model.

“His passing is really the end of an era,” Simpson said. “It’s
the turning of a corner for the court. A melancholy time.”

While Mencer had been retired since 1994, his presence was still
felt.

Simpson said that Mencer was supposed to speak at a Commonwealth
Court ceremony last week. Mencer was not able to make the trip;
Simpson gave Mencer’s speech instead.

“It was a great pleasure to know Judge Mencer,” Bradford
attorney Greg Henry said. Henry was Mencer’s law clerk from
1981-1982. “He was my employer, my teacher and he was definitely a
friend.

“He was someone who certainly led by example rather than by
talk.”

Henry also spoke about the signed photograph he received from
Mencer after his term as law clerk.

“That really has to be one of the most outstanding careers in
law and the most versatile that I can think of,” Henry said.

“What strikes me, he was a very kind and gentle man with a
wonderful, wonderful sense of humor,” Henry said. “He brought that
to his job in a wonderful way. He was terrific with people. He
understood people.”

Attorneys from around the county are feeling Mencer’s loss,
too.

“He was one of the finest gentlemen I ever knew,” said Bradford
attorney Dick Mutzabaugh, who had known Mencer since 1960. “And one
of the most compassionate judges.”

“He was thorough and a total gentleman … I feel a great sense of
loss.”

Tony Alfieri, president of the McKean County Bar Association,
concurred.

“He was a good lawyer, a good judge and a good friend,” Alfieri
said. “Throughout a long and very distinguish career, he always
remained humble and down to earth.

“He loved his family, he loved and served our country. He loved
and served our community. He touched many lives and was a truly
special person.”

When Bradford attorney Stan Pecora was starting his law
practice, Mencer was starting his career as a judge. Pecora ended
up buying Mencer’s law library when Mencer became a judge.

“He was a very kind man, but a humble person,” Pecora said. “He
was very forceful as a judge.

“He always got respect from everyone,” Pecora said. “Not that he
commanded it, but he was entitled to it. You couldn’t help but
respect him … it’s pretty sad to think that he’s gone.”

Pecora remembered a man who loved sports. As an alumnus of the
University of Michigan, Mencer loved to talk about football. He
also loved to golf, Pecora said.

“He was a real fine fellow. We were blessed to have a guy like
him … He had quite a career,” Pecora said.