Obituary Stories category, Page 38
Former Mt. Pleasant Sub ’n Pub owner kept upbeat attitude during cancer fight
Mary D. “Lou” Ross of Scottdale beat the odds in her 13-year battle against a rare cancer of the salivary glands, and did it with a smile on her face and positive attitude that spread to other patients undergoing treatment, according to her daughter. “She was called a miracle by...
Latrobe World War II veteran was ‘all about photography’
If Harry Frye wasn’t at a local fire or town council meeting, he was covering high school sports or taking candid photos basically everywhere he went. “It’s all about photography,” said Patrick Frye, 57, of West Chester, about his father. “He always had his camera in his hand and didn’t...
Youngwood man was ‘ahead of his time’
When Regis Klinchock saw something that needed changing, he changed it. When he saw racing promoters making more money than racers, he became a racetrack operator. When he got tired of paying high prices for fuel deliveries to his gas station, he founded his own trucking company. When he decided...
South Greensburg man loved dancing
Frank J. Rossi of South Greensburg enjoyed ballroom dancing so much, and was so good at it, that he was an instructor at an Arthur Murray dance studio in the 1950s in Pittsburgh. “He loved to dance. He was still dancing up until the last few years,” said his son,...
Construction worker turned nurse passed down career to kids
Mark Capets was a construction worker before he became a registered nurse — a profession he passed on to his children. “A lot of it is that my dad liked to fix things and take care of people. I have a lot of those same traits,” said his daughter, Erin...
Steeler fan shared fun, crafts with family and friends
Susan Sniezek had a zest for life that was contagious. When she and her husband, Martin, hosted parties at their Greensburg home, guests were reluctant to leave. “She made everybody happy when she was around,” daughter Jennifer Ciafre said. “Everybody loved hugging her.” Susan Ruth Sniezek of Greensburg died Monday,...
Youngstown native remembered for passion, love for life
Helene Smith would be ready to travel at the drop of a hat. “She’d pack up, let’s go,” her husband Wayne Smith Jr. said. “I would have a tough time keeping up with her.” But her passion for traveling and meeting new people lead Mrs. Smith to write and publish...
Former West Penn Power manager loved fishing, family
If there was a place Cecil Fitzgerald was truly happy, it was most likely far offshore, aboard a boat with a fishing line in the water. “We really enjoyed boating and fishing,” said Mr. Fitzgerald’s wife of 63 years, Mary Lou Fitzgerald. “That was one of the main things we...
North Irwin man had love for his community
Louis A. Simon of North Irwin was a community-minded person who served his town’s fire department, the borough’s zoning commission, picked up litter around town and helped to preserve a local pond. “He would walk around town and clean up the litter he saw in his daily walks. He rebuilt...
Acme man pursued life with passion
Charles E. Leeper Jr. gave 100 percent to everything he did — including his construction business, his family, and his long list of hobbies. “He would always have some kind of activity that he would be interested in, or some new hobby or something,” said his daughter, Connie Leeper Baker....
Sutersville woman remembered for love of family
Yolanda Orsini would do anything for her family, even if it meant dropping out of school while in eighth grade. The oldest of six kids, Ms. Orsini dropped out to help her mother cook, clean and take care of her brothers and sisters while her mom worked cleaning other people’s...
Peter Tork, bassist for The Monkees, dead at 77
Peter Tork, one of the four lovable wisecracking musicians in The Monkees, died Feb. 21 at age 77. The Washington Post reports Tork’s death was confirmed by his sister, Anne Thorkelson. She didn’t divulge how or where he died. In 2009, Tork was diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare...
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...
