Funland’s Al Fasnacht Passes

Al Fasnacht on Kiddie Row at Funland / Image courtesy Funland

He was the cornerstone of Funland on the boardwalk at Rehoboth Beach – and the local community – since 1961. A post on the Funland Facebook page Sunday announced the passing of Allen “Al” Fasnacht – he was 96. Al impacted many people but did it quietly, with humility and kindness. He did everything at Funland – from cleaning up spills to putting families on rides and talking with park guests to taking out the trash. The Facebook homage says, “Through his quiet dedication, Al showed us what it means to lead with compassion, hard work and care for others. His lasting legacy will continue to inspire us, and his presence will be deeply missed.”

A Funland Family Member tells the Talk of Delmarva that they have plans to honor Al this summer, but are taking time as a family right now to process his passing privately.

Fasnacht was also a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.   He wrestled in high school in Hershey, PA and in college and went into officiating rather than coaching.  According to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame website:

From 1957 to 1971 Al officiated 468 dual meets and 76 tournaments, including two NCAA Division I and six NCAA Division III national tournaments. He served the Harrisburg Chapter Wrestling Officials as secretary and rules interpreter for many years.

Along with Sam Harry, he started the wrestling program at Hershey Junior College in 1964, and in 1965, Matt Kline won the National Junior College Championship.

In the 1970s after retiring as an official, he did go into coaching. He was a volunteer assistant for Jerry Petrofes at Lebanon Valley College, where he coached his son Neil.

Al has been involved in the sport of wrestling as an official, coach and contributor for more than 50 years.