John Fanning, the epitome of everything that the Y is about. This year the Somerset Hills YMCA is extremely proud to honor John Fanning at the 19th Annual Somerset Hills YMCA Golf Classic, for his commitment and belief in the mission of the YMCA. The event will be held at the Somerset Hills Country Club, September 21st, 2009. John Fanning was one of the most respected and involved members of the Somerset Hills YMCA.  Sadly, John passed away March 30, 2009. The YMCA lost a wonderful friend and colleague, but his influence and presence are, and always will be, greatly felt and respected. John was recruited to the Board of Directors in 1997, becoming Chair of the Board in 2004.  He played a key role in the recent expansion of the Y’s Mt. Airy Road location. John led the Bernards Township school district from 1980 to 1987, securing district voter approval for a $5.5 million expansion of Ridge High School, and was a member of the Republican Municipal Committee and the township’s Golf Advisory Committee. He was most recently employed as an adjunct professor in educational leadership at Caldwell College. John was very invested in each individual, a talent he had acquired during his 50 years of experience as an educator.  He always kept members of the community first and foremost in his mind, thinking of others before himself.  He was instrumental in creating a strong caring and better community in which to live and raise children. “He’s had a far greater impact in this community than he even realized,” stated Bob Lomauro, President and CEO of the Somerset Hills YMCA. “He began volunteering at the YMCA in the 1990’s and quickly became one of the YMCA’s strongest advocates, educating others about our mission and the importance of the YMCA to the community.” In March of this year, he was one of the recipients of the 2009 Bob Ohaus Award, a Somerset Hills YMCA Award that recognizes a board member for outstanding service and leadership. “He was the epitome of everything that the Y is about,” said Peter Olsen, one of his former fellow board members. It was said of John that he was one of the greatest bridge builders in the community in terms of connecting people, school districts, houses of worship, the YMCA and other non-profit organizations within the community.  He was the charter president of the Bernards Township Golf Advisory Committee of Coakley-Russo Memorial Golf Course and district representative for the Somerset County and Bernards Township Republican Municipal Committees. John is dearly missed but his legacy will live on through the individuals with whom he interacted and the steps that he made to make the YMCA the great community organization it is today.