Frank A. Fecser

Frank A. Fecser, 74, of Mentor, died on March 11, 2026, at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights. He was born on September 8, 1951, in Cleveland. Frank served as Chief Executive Officer of the Positive Education Program (PEP) for 20 years. He was a graduate of Garfield Heights High School and earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cleveland State University, followed by a Ph.D. from Kent State University. Frank worked hard throughout his life. After the sudden death of his father, he put himself through college. He began his career as a beloved teacher in the Mentor school system, where he consistently went above and beyond to create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for his students. He then devoted 40 years to PEP, where he met his wife, and served in a variety of roles, including liaison teacher/counselor, principal, and ultimately CEO. Along with his mentor and business partner, Nicholas Long, Frank co-founded the Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) Institute, a model for talking with and helping students in crisis that is now practiced worldwide. Frank also authored numerous professional articles, co-authored several books, and received multiple awards recognizing his leadership in the field of children’s mental health, both locally and nationally. As a young adult, Frank enjoyed hiking and backpacking. After his marriage, he enthusiastically embraced new adventures, learning to ski—a sport he came to love—as well as white water rafting, canoeing, snorkeling in Bermuda, zip lining in Colorado, and even hang gliding in New Zealand. He especially cherished their regular trips to Europe, both for LSCI and to visit dear friends. Frank was deeply devoted to his family. He delighted in attending his children’s hockey games, ballet and violin recitals, and swim and track meets, as well as simply playing with them or reading to them. This same joy and devotion continued with his grandchildren. Frank will be remembered for his kind and generous heart and for the countless people he helped—professionally and personally—through both good times and bad. Survivors include his wife, Mary Ellen Fecser; children, Katherine (Ted) Clark, William Fecser, and Sarah (Michael) Marein; grandchildren, Jackson, Sarah, Emmett, Isaac, and Cole; and his sisters, Judy (Don) Davison, and Linda Andrus. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Isabelle Fecser. The family will receive friends to celebrate Frank’s life from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 2026, at Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, March 30, 2026, at St. Andrew Episcopal Church, 7989 Little Mountain Rd., Mentor, OH 44060. Interment will be in Mentor Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations in memory of Frank to the Positive Education Program, c/o Frank Fecser Staff Innovation Fund; donate online at https://www.pepcleve.org/support-us or to St. Andrew Episcopal Church. Please offer condolences at www.brunners.com.

Frank A. Fecser

September 8, 1951 - March 11, 2026