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Obituary Stories category, Page 33

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Latrobe outdoorsman blazed new trails
When Kevin Seremet went into the woods, he went as far off the beaten path as he could go. “He always said he wanted to step on land that no other man had ever stepped on before,” said his brother, Kenneth Seremet. Kevin Seremet was always happiest outside. He gardened,...
Unity man had zest for life, traveled Europe
Dwight Sarson’s graduation trip was an adventure to remember. He and his friend hitchhiked across Europe in 1972, traveling to Italy, Sweden, France, England and Germany, said his wife, Dana Santone Sarson. “They had a grand time,” traveling and living on bread and wine to save money, she said. “That...
‘Beloved by thousands,’ William Penn doorman made people feel special
Jon-Paul Malezi, doorman at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh for 25 years, had a way of making people feel special, and they loved him for that. If a guest showed up in a rain storm, Malezi was out in the street with an umbrella to make sure...
Greensburg woman remembered for passion of cooking
The smell of Sylvia Fontanella’s beef risotto recipe often wafted through her Greensburg home, a signature meal of hers. Cooking and baking for her family was a favorite past time of hers, her great-niece Lisa Fox said, along with trying to spend as much time with the children in the...
Latrobe woman remembered for love of people
Joan McGuire loved to be around people, especially her son, David Sichula. “My mother and I had a very close relationship,” Sichula said. “She was my best friend, and I was her best friend.” The duo spent a lot of time together, with Sichula taking her to visit London and...
Active West Newton retiree had passion for Croatian roots
Michaelene Nohavicka was full of life, and the life she lived was a full one. “Even at 70, she was still going like crazy,” said her daughter, Beth Lengvarsky. Retirement, following a series of careers, found Mrs. Nohavicka still a dynamo of energy. A driving force at the former Yukon...
West Newton woman enjoyed faith, food and home-making
There was always something good in the oven at Catherine Lash’s home. The mouth-watering scent of raspberry pie or one of her cakes filled her West Newton kitchen on a daily basis. Visitors knew they’d be treated to fresh baked goods and coffee when they visited, said her son, Richard...
Former FBI agent, Derry teacher remembered
As a young man, Michael G. Christoff was an FBI special agent in Pensacola, Fla., and Mobile, Ala. The former South Greensburg and Unity resident had risen from being a personal secretary to one of the FBI assistant directors during the reign of legendary Director J. Edgar Hoover to a...
Greensburg man loved to host picnics, was life of the party
Roy Hoyle never missed a chance to throw a party or host a picnic. Traveling with a cooler packed with drinks and snacks, Hoyle would take advantage of sporting events, scenic overlooks and Sunday afternoons at “the lot,” a piece of land with a cement pad and large weeping willow...
Greensburg man loved basketball, family
Carl Davis Sr. was feisty when he was coaching basketball. Spending 13 years coaching at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and 12 at Jeannette High School, Davis had a knack for the sport, leading his teams on to national championships. Davis was eventually inducted into the into the Indiana County Sports...
Teacher shared love of art wherever she went
Constance “Connie” Vaskov brought her passion for art wherever she went. “She just loved to make every place she went look a little bit more beautiful,” said her daughter, Victoria Sheridan. “She couldn’t help herself.” Mrs. Vaskov would make ceramics and other artsy gifts for her friends. She’d help decorate...
North Huntingdon woman saw Pittsburgh’s transformation from `Smoky City’
Lois June Drexler grew up on Mt. Washington in the 1930s and 1940s, when Pittsburgh was known as the “Smoky City.” The steel mills were belching out smoke on both sides of the Monongahela River — the South Side and Hazelwood — and homes like the one young Lois Bressler...
Scottdale chiropractor dedicated to his profession
An early encounter with chiropractic medicine is what planted the seed that would become a lifelong career for Dr. Ralph Geary. As a boy, he had a medical problem doctors said could not be corrected — until he was taken to a chiropractor, said Betty Jean Geary, his wife of...
Retired Hempfield Area librarian loved to read
Margaret Rumbaugh served as a librarian at Hempfield Area’s West Point Elementary School and at her church, Charter Oak Church in Unity — an appropriate job for a woman who had a passion for reading. “She loved reading and hated that we (as a society) don’t read as much,” said...
Penn Township man remembered as hard-working, coolest dad around
The drummer meets the majorette. The drummer marries the majorette — and plays the drums at their wedding. Gary Kozain was a hard-working guy who sometimes liked to embarrass his two daughters while being the coolest dad around. His family has troves of good memories from Sundays spent together to...
Export metallurgist strove for perfection through science
Bill Powers was a man of science who loved his family and who took his Catholic faith seriously. His career at U.S. Steel Research and R.J. Lee Group in Monroeville spanned 54 years, during which time he obtained patents for material inside steel mill smokestacks and blast furnaces, his children...
Greensburg secretary Marjorie Taylor loved writing, painting
Before their daughter could even open her eyes and utter her first cry, Marjorie Taylor’s parents hung her out the window of their home and the attending nurse slapped her because she wasn’t breathing. “Finally then, she came to life,” said her daughter, Leslie Minteer of North Huntingdon. L. Marjorie...
Former Mt. Pleasant man loved cooking, ran a food truck
Former businessman James Lentz loved to cook, whether it was serving barbecues from his food truck at the annual Mt. Pleasant Glass Festival or joining with his wife to cook two big turkeys on Thanksgiving to feed an extended family of 40 to 50 people in his house. “He loved...
Murrysville woman led by example, volunteered at charities
Mary Funk grew up on the Murrysville Golf Course. Living in the stone house on the property, her parents owned and ran the golf course since it was built in 1928 — the year they immigrated from Glasgow, Scotland. Mrs. Funk cut the greens and tended the course. It also...
South Greensburg cancer survivor was devoted to family
South Greensburg’s Pat Urda didn’t let obstacles stand in the way of being an active supporter of her family and her community. “She was resilient,” said her daughter, Karen Peltz. “She showed perseverance in the face of adversity. She was a fabulous role model.” Mrs. Urda survived a battle with...
‘Pro’s pro’ dedicated life to golf
When John Goettlicher retired, he received a farewell note from golf legend Arnold Palmer. “The game has certainly been enriched by your presence, and I salute you, my friend,” Palmer wrote. Mr. Goettlicher spent 67 years as a golf professional, earning the admiration of others working in the industry. He...
Salem Township woman loved to work in her garden
Helen Kersten loved to garden. It was the place where she could be creative, and she had a real good sense of colors, said her daughter, Donna McDowell of Ligonier. “She had a beautiful garden,” McDowell said. “She always liked flowers that were different.” Mrs. Kersten did not rely on...
Greensburg woman remembered as ‘great teacher’
Nancy Hogue turned a job teaching for the U.S. Defense Department into an opportunity to travel all over Europe and beyond. Five years into her teaching career, Mrs. Hogue took a position teaching the children of U.S. military personnel at Air Force bases in Puerto Rico; Labrador, Canada; and Zaragoza,...
Latrobe man loved sports, family
James Hauser had just gotten back from serving in Korea when he met his wife-to-be, Virginia. “I was sitting there, and he came over and asked me to dance,” Virginia Hauser said. “We started dancing and he introduced himself. So the next time he came over, he said he was...
Greensburg Catholic schoolteacher was keen on Irish heritage
St. Patrick’s Day was one of Mary McCloskey’s favorite times of the year. The holiday allowed her to share her love of her Irish heritage with the elementary students she taught for nearly four decades at what is now Greensburg’s Catholic Aquinas Academy. “She would make a big fuss in...


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