November 5, 2021

FirstEnergy recently lost a member of our family. Hanna Sassya, SCADA design specialist II, passed away on Oct. 20 after a courageous battle with COVID-19.

Hanna, who joined FirstEnergy in July 2020, was just 27 years old when he died. He leaves behind his father, Leby Sassya, an engineer IV at FirstEnergy, and his four siblings. Our thoughts are with Hanna’s family and with his team at the Akron Control Center during this difficult time.

“Hanna fit in with our team from day one,” said Grant McDonald, technical advisor in IT Trans Systems. “His positive attitude and work ethic made him a perfect complement to the team and the field workers he supported. He was great at lighting up the room (or Teams meeting) with a quick joke and was always willing to help others. Hanna enjoyed being a big brother to his siblings. He was a great person to call a coworker and he will be sorely missed,” Grant said.

Anyone wishing to send a card to his family may send it to:

1463 Stanley Dr.
SE Vienna Township
Girard, OH, 44420

In Hanna’s memory, the FirstEnergy Foundation is making a $2,500 donation to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is the 501(c)(3) organization chosen by his family.

Employees who are feeling overwhelmed, anxious or having difficulty coping during this public health emergency are encouraged to access the Life Resources Employee Assistance Program, or EAP. Free for all employees and household members, the EAP offers counseling, webinars, a variety of articles and a COVID-19 resource page, as well as information on dealing with stress, marital or family conflicts, caregiving, elder and childcare concerns, legal and financial issues and much more.

For EAP support, call 888-745-0714 or visit the Life Resources EAP website for articles and information.