Obituary Stories category, Page 37
Acme man’s family helped found the annual Appalachian Wagon Train
Chart Howard lived for the annual Appalachian Wagon Train, when residents jump back in time and participate in a horse-drawn wagon train through Westmoreland and Fayette counties, traveling during the day and camping at night. So it was with a heavy heart that wagon-train participants set out in 2019, the...
Ed Saliba Sr. remembered as icon of New Kensington firefighting
“Chief 56” has acknowledged his last call. An icon of New Kensington firefighting, J. Edward Saliba Sr. died Wednesday afternoon. “He was 89 and a half,” said his son Edward Saliba Jr., who followed his father’s footsteps and now is the city’s fire chief. “It’s a sad day for New...
Murrysville photographer never stopped capturing moments
David Adams loved photography, so much so that even after his job at local newspapers came to an end, he continued to work in the field. “He just took prom pictures last month at Spectrum Charter School in Monroeville,” his wife Bonnijean said. “He just liked the interaction. He was...
Greensburg woman shared love of outdoors, ice skating
Grace Howard was outgoing, loved people and enjoyed the finer things in life. On the latter count, she married the right man, according to her daughter. “She graduated from Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing and was a registered nurse, but she never needed to do any nursing work,” said Sharon...
Unity man ‘was always telling a story or a joke’
James Miller never met someone with whom he couldn’t strike up a conversation. “He was a talker,” said his son, Bruce Miller of Mt. Pleasant. “Whenever he was in the room, you might get to throw in a word here and there, but he was always telling a story or...
Army veteran, former pilot had lifelong love of aviation
Charles Steel followed his heart into the clouds but kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. Likely influenced by cousin Chalmers Goodlin, a renowned test pilot from New Alexandria, Mr. Steel obtained his pilot’s license in 1945, at 18. “Chalmers bought a DC-10, and my dad flew it from...
Unity woman had ‘heart of a caring person’
Anna Dunn made it her life’s work to care for the Benedictine brothers at Saint Vincent Archabbey. She spent 40 years as a certified nurse’s aide at the monastery infirmary, caring for brothers and priests who were convalescing or were in their last hours, said her daughter Kathleen Hendrickson. “She...
Monroeville man was ‘the most sincere police officer you’d ever meet’
During his lengthy career in law enforcement, T. Craig Thompson was nothing if not resourceful, even if the resource he used was nonexistent. “One night he was on patrol down by Airgas on Route 22, maybe about three in the morning, and he saw a flash in his peripheral vision,”...
Rillton woman turned passion for cooking, baking into profession
Alice Ogg loved to cook, bake and make candy — so much so she turned her passion into a profession. She operated her candy and catering business, Alice’s Candy, from her Rillton home in the 1970s and 80s. “She made the candy during the holidays — Christmas and Easter. She...
Longtime Mt. Pleasant teacher had ‘soothing Italian way’
As a young woman, Clarina DiPietro had two goals in life – to attend Seton Hill University and to work for the CIA. Although she accomplished both, she spent most of her career as a social studies teacher at Mt. Pleasant Area Senior High School. “She was always teaching her...
Latrobe businessman remembered for generosity, love of family
James Barchesky, also known as Big Jim, was very proud of the corner lot where his dealership, Superior Motors of Latrobe, sits. And he made it known, taking rides by it on Sunday drives so he knew what was going on. “That was his corner,” said grandson Tomas Barchesky, who...
Hempfield woman never forgot birthdays, anniversaries
Mary Alice Weir never forgot a birthday or anniversary of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “She always sent out cards. She even had the cards in her drawer at Westmoreland Manor, and she got them out in the mail,” said her daughter-in-law, Michelle Weir of Hempfield. She remembered so many...
Derry man remembered for love of family, time in service
On the night James Hook and his soon-to-be wife, Sarah, started dating, they didn’t know it would lead to 80 years of him walking her home. “He asked if he could walk her home, and he asked if he could take her hand, and he’s been walking her home ever...
Level Green dietitian shared Italian culinary traditions
Food was a passion and a profession for Lisa Ginsburg. A registered dietitian, she made sure those she cared for — including family members — were well fed and hydrated. “When I was in college, I played baseball for Clarion University, and she helped me with my nutrition,” her younger...
Greensburg man saw life despite blindness
John Dallo was blind from childhood, but he didn’t let that handicap bring him down. “He was an inspiration to everybody who saw him,” said his wife, Carol Dallo. “He did not just let life go by. He would be right in there helping with whatever.” Mr. Dallo became blind...
Jeannette teacher Raymond Bronzie wrestled most out of life on and off the mat
In his long life, there was very little that Raymond Bronzie couldn’t or didn’t do. He helped train the chimpanzees in the Johnny Weissmuller “Tarzan” movies. He was a finalist for the Olympic swimming and wrestling teams. He was a Golden Glove boxer. He rode a bicycle cross-country. He was...
Sutersville man passed on baseball career for college education
David Dubinsky wanted to go to college so badly, he said no to the Baltimore Orioles. Scouts from the major league team were at a high school baseball game Mr. Dubinsky was playing in. They were there to scout the opposing team, but Mr. Dubinsky had hit a home run...
Greensburg man was mine sweeper in Korean War, serious historian back home
As an Army combat engineer in Korea, Donald Baker once was sweeping for mines when he heard an explosion behind him. He and his men realized they had walked over a live mine but had missed it. Despite that close call, the combat engineers of the 1st Cavalry Division, Dog...
North Huntingdon nurse made lasting impression on hospital staff, patients
Generations of staff and patients at Forbes Hospital came to know the kindness and caring of nurse Joan Saversky — a regard she also showed for others when she wasn’t on duty. “There was a certain loving care she gave to us kids and to all the patients she saw...
Greensburg husband, wife died 5 days apart, remembered as ‘classic American couple’
Howard and Frances Loflin were the “classic American couple,” according to daughter Stephanie Mulligan. “All of our friends tell me that my parents showed them what true love and marriage was like when they grew up in homes that didn’t have love,” Mulligan said. Meeting in kindergarten in Oberlin, Ohio,...
Greensburg man loved cycling, Scottish heritage
David Hamilton and some of his closest friends were avid cyclists, and when they found out the Regional Trail Corp. was planning to bring part of the Great Allegheny Passage through his hometown of Van Meter in Fayette County they sprang into action. “They called themselves ‘The Over the Hill...
Scottdale woman broke down barriers, loved people
Patricia Walker did not know she was opening doors for future generations when she stepped foot on a train that would take her to San Antonio, Texas, in 1950. The then 17-year-old made a decision about her life — rather than follow in the footsteps of a lot of young...
Mt. Pleasant fixture owned service station, founded ambulance service
Jack Caruso Jr. is fairly certain that almost everyone in Mt. Pleasant knew his father, Jack Sr. “He was a figurehead in Mt. Pleasant forever,” he said. “You could ask anyone in town and they’d have their own little story about my dad.” As the owner of a longtime service...
Penn-Trafford teacher, coach, inspired young athletes
Pat Cortazzo flipped a coin with another teacher to decide who would coach the Trafford High School football team and who would coach basketball. Cortazzo, who loved football and was a quarterback at Geneva College, “lost” and accepted the basketball position, according to his son, Sam. It turned out to...
Hannastown man grew up in Italy before opening Latrobe barber shop
Shirley DaRold joked her father was older than sliced bread. Except it’s not really a joke: the first commercial loaf of sliced bread was sold in Missouri in 1928. By that time, Luigi “Fast Louie” DaRold was already 3 years old and had moved from Murrysville’s White Valley neighborhood across...
