Robert Fraser Hostetter, Jr.

Robert Fraser Hostetter, Jr., 83, of Harrisburg, passed away on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 in UPMC Pinnacle Harrisburg Hospital.

He was the retired President/CEO and Founder of The Hostetter Group, Harrisburg and an ordained Presbyterian minister formerly serving the congregations of Christ Presbyterian Church, Allendale, Camp Hill and Covenant Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg. He received his BA from Waynesburg University and his Masters in Theology from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Hostetter worked for three decades in community and organizational development. For fourteen years, he was Vice President for Community Outreach and Projects Development of New Communications Technologies at public broadcasting station WITF, Harrisburg. It was his job to ascertain community needs and to help people use broadcast and non-broadcast television to energize and support community problem solving initiatives. Before joining WITF, Bob was Executive Director, Advisory Council of National Organizations at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in Washington, D.C. and a Professor of Communications/Television Writer-Producer at University of Wisconsin.

Bob was a Board member, Past President, Paul Harris Fellow and served as Program Chair and Membership Chair for the Rotary Club of Harrisburg for more than 43 years. In addition to his Rotary service, Bob participated in many charitable and public service organizations. He has served on many Boards of Directors including the following cultural, human service and economic development entities: MetroArts (Created the Allied Arts Fund, and later the Cultural Enrichment Fund), The American Red Cross, PA Capital Region Chapter, Ronald McDonald House of Hershey, Shipoke Neighborhood Association, Central PA Mental Health Association, Keystone Family Services Development Board, Open Stage of Harrisburg, Dauphin County Library System, The Tuesday Club of Harrisburg, Mt. Gretna Theatre, Uptown YMCA Harrisburg, Volunteer Center Harrisburg, Leadership Harrisburg Area and Harrisburg Public Schools Foundation. Additionally, he was a member of Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg.

When Bob was the keynote speaker for the Executive Leadership Series graduation for Leadership Harrisburg Area, he was described as follows: “Hostetter’s work is driven by a powerful vision of a functioning community. He has demonstrated the usefulness of community-based coalition building as a professional specialty. His community leadership expertise encompasses the whole gamut of project development skills: Needs identification, project design, grantsmanship and fund development, team building, interagency networking, project management, evaluation design and implementation.”

Bob was born in Pittsburgh to the late Robert F. and Edith M. (Metz) Hostetter, Sr. and is survived by his daughter Lynne M. Hostetter Piper and son-in law Dale R. Piper of Ellicott City, MD; his son Gregory J. Hostetter of Hershey, PA and partner Karen Sensenig Gallagher of Lititz, PA; brother William E. Hostetter and sister-in-law, Grace Hostetter of Washington, PA; grandson Joshua G. Hostetter; former wife Martha Bulkley Hostetter; and long-time care giver Keith H. Perago.

A memorial service will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, August 28, 2021 in Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 N. 3rd St. Harrisburg, PA 17101. Visitation with the family will be one hour prior to service time in the church. A Celebration of Bob’s Life and reception will follow at 4 pm at the Civic Club of Harrisburg to further, and less formally, remember Bob.

In lieu of flowers, the family has respectfully requested that memorial contributions be made in Bob’s memory to either Pine Street Presbyterian Church at the address above; the Central PA Food Bank, 3908 Corey Road
Harrisburg, PA 17109; Downtown Daily Bread, 234 South St, Harrisburg, PA 17101; the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, 3310 Market St. Rear, 2nd Floor-Suite A, Camp Hill, PA 17011; or the Allied Arts Fund Inc., 301 Market St. #5 Harrisburg, PA 17101.