Obituary Stories category, Page 28

Rachael Johnston of Unity had a loving heart, taking care of children in her work and babysitting relatives and loving pets — both cats and dogs. “I knew her as a very gentle, loving person. She got along very well with kids and pets,” said her uncle, Herman Lagally of...

Lucy Byrne touched the lives of thousands of students during her career as a teacher and a school food service director. “She loved working with children and with people of all ages,” said her daughter Christina Heil. “She met many people who became lifelong friends – kitchen workers, students, teachers,...

It seemed that Dennis Narcisi never met a grape or person he didn’t like. He was not a big man physically, just five-and-a-half-feet tall weighing only 140 pounds. But his son, Randy, remembered him as a huge person. “He was just a quiet, little guy who didn’t have a mean...

If it was about Connellsville, Tom Rusnack was interested. Mr. Rusnack was a life member of the Connellsville VFW and AMVETS, a regular member of the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus, part of the Fayette County Cultural Trust and a board member at the Wesley Health Center. “He...

Richard Catone was well known as “Ricky the Oil Man.” His reputation even extended to when his daughter Cynthia Sherwin moved into his former childhood home in Yukon. “People used to call all the time trying to pay their bills or with a question for my dad,” she said. The...

Francis Yandrick was a man who served his country and community, fighting in the Army during World War II and serving on Ligonier Borough Council. “He really did love the town of Ligonier,” said his granddaughter, Natalie Headley of Baltimore. Francis X. Yandrick of Ligonier died Friday, Feb. 14, 2020,...

There pretty much wasn’t anything Paul Patterson wouldn’t do for his children and grandchildren. Even while working third shift at Robertshaw Controls and driving a school bus during the day, he made time to attend his daughters’ dance recitals and band competitions. “He was always with us, doing things with...

Cazmier Liszewski’s mind was always at work. “He was constantly doing, constantly thinking, constantly creating,” said his daughter, Patty Liszewski. As an engineer for Aerojet and Westinghouse, he worked on designs for rockets and nuclear power. At home, he rebuilt cars in his garage and tended the hobby farm that...

Editor’s note: The original online version of this story inadvertently used a photo of a different Ken-Hi player. Long before athletes and celebrities were known by the first few letters of their names — J-Lo, A-Rod, FloJo — New Kensington had NoJo. Nolan “NoJo” Jones Jr., star of the 1957...

Eleanor Pishko embodied Pittsburgh’s wedding cookie tradition. “She loved to bake … she made over 10,000 cookies for my wedding,” Pishko’s daughter, Pamela Weirs said, remembering the day they moved the cookies to the reception venue. Pishko learned of her love for baking from her mother-in-law, Weirs said, noting that...

Eileen Vlasick and her husband, Tom, achieved a feat many people only dream of doing — visiting all 50 states. While not a goal they initially set for themselves, the couple’s passion for travel took off after they started driving to Denver to visit their sons, stopping to explore towns...

Patricia Loughran was the kind of person who lived her life for others. She raised seven daughters. She was director of financial aid at St. Francis University in Loretto for 18 years. She was a grief counselor at several Catholic parishes. She was an advocate for people with disabilities. In...

Dorothy Piekarski loved to travel around the world with her husband, Robert, exploring new places. “They traveled to Egypt and rode the camels. They loved traveling along the coast of California and visiting the redwood forests,” said her stepdaughter, Nancy K. Coons. Dorothy J. “Dottie” Piekarski of Hempfield died Wednesday,...

Stanley Yanuck became such a staple in the Mt. Pleasant community that customers nicknamed him “the chief.” “I think just by being the boss we just all started calling him ‘the chief,’” Yanuck’s son, Michael, said. For 46 years Yanuck operated Diamond Auto Parts along Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant...

Edward Slonecki would often joke that he was “the man,” but that’s exactly what he was to his sons. “We never really had a need for anything because my father and my mother were both there to love us and support us,” Chad Slonecki said. “If he wasn’t there to...

Becky Snyder had a heart for ministry that was matched only by her boundless energy. She helped found His Hand Extended Ministry (His HEM) and its companion thrift store in Washington Township. She ran the thrift store for 12 years as a way to fund the ministry, her husband, William...

Shirley Cantini couldn’t dip her toes in the ocean often enough. “She just loved the beach,” said her daughter, Cindy Achtzehn of Madison. “We went to Myrtle Beach every year when I was younger. And we had a camping group that was my family, my brother-in-law and some good friends....

Nothing made Sara Heckman happier than taking care of someone else. First, it was her husband, John. Their children tell how the two married young — she as 16, he was 19. Then, there were her five children. Finally, there were her 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren and the...

Don Kattic loved his fellow veterans so much that, whenever he presented an American flag to a veteran’s widow, he made sure to include taps. “He didn’t know how to play a musical instrument, so he would have a pretend trumpet and play taps on an old tape recorder,” said...

No matter the situation, James Chrise had an order of priorities — his wife, his sons and then himself. “Dad would wear the same belt for 30 years, the same pair of shoes for 30 years, so me and my brother could have what we needed,” said his son, Tom...

John D. McAdoo Jr. was constantly curious, with the combined passions of an engineer and an artist. “Anything that involved making anything turned into a giant project of diagrams and research,” said his daughter, Jane Cieply. He loved to create things—including sketches, paintings, architectural drawings, to name a few. “He...

Standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, Larry Jock had such a big personality that he proved he didn’t need to be the tallest one in the room to command its attention, his former colleagues, friends and family recalled. “He was a smaller guy, bulky and short, but he was a...

If there was a painting of Western Pennsylvania anywhere in the world, chances are Bruce Wolf could track it down. The former natural gas executive loved art, especially works that depicted his beloved hometown of Pittsburgh. “One of his goals was to collect and retain artwork of Western Pennsylvania and...

While growing up among coal-mining families in the Standard Shaft neighborhood of Mt. Pleasant Township, Frank Jackson loved being around people, but he had no desire to meet them at the bottom of a mine. “That was not for him,” said his daughter Kristina Behan of Pensacola, Fla. “When he...

David W. Planinsek’s life was devoted to the outdoors, whether he was responding to an environmental complaint or teaching a child how to fish. “I’m just one of many that he influenced,” said his son, David E. Planinsek, a state forester. Mr. Planinsek demonstrated respect for the natural world through...