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Obituary Stories category, Page 35

Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Avonmore native had a head for numbers, passion for polkas
Henry Stapinski’s skill with numbers provided him a livelihood, while a passion for his Polish roots provided him years of enjoyment with his family. The son of immigrants from Poland, Mr. Stapinski liked to socialize at the Polish National Alliance club in Avonmore when he wasn’t working as an accountant....
Murrysville Army vet enjoyed fishing, camaraderie
Ronald Germanoski carried the lessons — and more importantly, the camaraderie — he learned in the Boy Scouts well into manhood. “When he was young, he was in the Boy Scouts, and he dropped out just a few merit badges shy of becoming an Eagle Scout,” said his son Brian,...
Latrobe man knew how to bring Compass Inn Museum’s history to life
Regular visitors at Ligonier’s Compass Inn Museum knew to look for James Koontz’s signature top hat. “Everybody loved his tours because his way of presenting the information was so wonderful,” said Theresa Gay Rohall, executive director of the Ligonier Valley Historical Society. Museum attendees, and even tour bus drivers, would...
Priest’s family life gave him unique perspective
The Rev. Donald Trexler was a family man before he was a Catholic priest, but his experience as a father and husband informed his 21 years of ministry in the Diocese of Greensburg. Rev. Trexler grew up a devout Catholic and remained so as an adult, while working as a...
Scottdale veteran loved to play guitar
Kerry Stefl of Scottdale loved to play his electric and acoustic guitars. He was good enough to play in several bands that traveled to clubs throughout the region. “He loved to play popular music. He played at home and for family functions,” said his daughter, Valerie A. Farino of Scottdale....
Creator of Triangle Bar and Grill’s massive Battleship hoagie dies
It started as a gag gift in the 1960s. The Catanzano brothers, Joseph and John, were at the family’s Swissvale bar, the Triangle Bar and Grill, and made a special sandwich for their friend Tony Villiotti. They bowled in a league together, and the night of the bowling banquet was...
Penn Twp. man loved golf, Albanian family roots
Theodore Peshkopia came home one day with a surprising announcement for his wife. “He said he and a partner had bought a 100-acre property in Penn Township,” said Joanne Peshkopia. Considering that Mr. Peshkopia was an elementary school principal at the time, his wife wasn’t sure what to make of...
Frank Rossi, founder of the Pittsburgh Banjo Club, dies at 83
As is tradition, the Pittsburgh Banjo Club will practice Wednesday night at the Allegheny Elks Lodge on the city’s North Side. The group will attract a crowd of people of all ages and walks of life who come for the camaraderie, cheap drinks and, of course, the banjos. But absent...
Scottdale man served with President Ford aboard USS Monterey
Bob Clark of Rostraver didn’t know much about his father Robert’s military service until he read about it in a book published by a local author. “There was a high school teacher from Southmoreland who wrote a book about local veterans, and one of the chapters was about Dad,” Clark...
Researcher took wood, made it better
As an undergraduate student at West Virginia University, Joseph Ayres got in on the ground floor of a technology that increased the durability and uses of wood. Mr. Ayres was involved with research efforts in the early 1960s that developed wood-plastic combinations using gamma irradiation techniques. “It had never been...
Veteran from Connellsville drove for Patton during Battle of the Bulge
When it came to vehicular ability, Eugene Craig of Connellsville had it in spades. He raced a snowmobile for fun, flew a plane for work and drove Gen. George Patton’s jeep during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. “He loved ‘Old Blood and Guts,’ ” said son...
Loyalhanna nurse served her country, community
Kathleen Michelle Rudy of Loyalhanna and her family believed in serving their country. Her father served in World War II and her brother in the Vietnam War. She served with the Army’s 339th General Hospital Reserve Unit in Pittsburgh. “Michelle was a really kind-hearted person,” said her brother, Paul Rudy...
Ligonier woman brought joy through art
Regina Hayes’ paintings adorn the walls of her friends’ and family’s homes. She was an avid self-taught painter and crafter, who spent many years as a member of the Oak Grove Art Club. “She really took a lot of pride in her crafts, and her paintings,” said her daughter, Laurene...
Korean War veteran devoted life to military, fellow vets
Jim Findle saw combat action in Korea and then devoted the rest of his life to the Army, the National Guard and the VFW. “He was very service-oriented. He gave of himself to others his entire life,” said his son, Jeffery. An Army veteran, Mr. Findle served in the Korean...
Greensburg teacher ‘made you feel like the most important person in the room’
Ryan Soisson never had his mother as a teacher in school. But he isn’t sure it would have mattered. “She was a great teacher all the time,” he said. Kathryn N. Soisson of Greensburg died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. She was 52 years old. Mrs. Soisson was born July 12,...
Irwin man boosted Blind Association using sales skills
Lawrence J. Helkowksi won salesman of the year honors three years in a row while working for Peoples Gas. After he retired from a 33-year career with the utility, he put his persuasive skills to work for the Westmoreland County Blind Association, serving as its president and CEO. As a...
Madison wife, mother, PNC employee enjoyed bringing family together
Lynn Rich caught the eye of her future husband while working as a teller at a PNC Bank branch in Mt. Pleasant. She was stunning, Ronald Rich Sr. said. “I saw her there and I asked her for a date, and she said, ‘I really don’t know you,’ ” he...
Trafford centenarian was driver to rich and famous
Milan “Jemo” Drakulic Sr. of Trafford got to drive famous people as the head chauffeur for the former Westinghouse Electric Corp. when its headquarters were in downtown Pittsburgh. “He was the youngest of about six chauffeurs for Westinghouse and then became its head chauffeur around 1965,” said his daughter, Maryanne...
Catholic faith, Ukrainian roots were bedrock of Irwin man’s life
Being a Catholic with Ukrainian roots was the bedrock of Merle Morozowich’s life. It led him to a life of service in the League of Ukrainian Catholics, led his children to fond memories of the Pittsburgh Folk Festival and even led to a meeting with Pope John Paul II. “Both...
Westmoreland YWCA founder Kuyat dedicated life to service, education, family
Aside from her children, Reta Snodgrass Kuyat’s proudest accomplishment was founding the YWCA Westmoreland County. “Mom started with meetings in our house, and then in a tiny storefront on Main Street across from church,” said her daughter, Karen Nagy of Oakland Park, Fla. Her mother was ahead of her time,...
Jeannette woman passionate about volunteering, literacy
Gladys Peltier was a take-charge type of person, according to her family. It’s a good thing, too, because for many years she was in charge of both the annual Italian festival at Ascension Church in Jeannette and the weeklong High Park Jubilees in town. “She was always giving back,” said...
Russell Baker, droll columnist and memoirist who twice won Pulitzer, dies at 93
Russell Baker, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who for 36 years brought whimsy, irreverence and droll commentary to the Observer column in the New York Times and whose memoir, “Growing Up,” was a bestseller, died Jan. 21 at his home in Leesburg, Virginia. He was 93. The cause was complications from...
Kaye Ballard, boisterous singer and actress, dies at 93
LOS ANGELES — Kaye Ballard, the boisterous comedian and singer who appeared in Broadway musicals and nightclubs from New York to Las Vegas and starred with Eve Arden in the 1960s TV sitcom “The Mothers-In-Law,” has died. She was 93. Ballard died Monday night at her home in Rancho Mirage,...
Retired legislative assistant was cycling enthusiast, steady friend
Terri Mickolay Selembo lived life to the fullest, bringing her friends along for the ride. She loved cycling with others, a passion that led her to complete multi-day treks in multiple states. In one memorable trip, she and her wife, Lori Cramer, were joined by friends in a south-to-north journey...
Murrysville Army veteran loved the flag, pursued adventure
Lester Dolton’s appetite for adventure was as big as the great outdoors he explored with his family. His first passion was bowling, including games with the Patriots league he founded half a century ago at White Oak Bowl. It’s a sport he continued to enjoy into his 80s. “He loved...


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