Obituary Stories category, Page 28
Lon Adams, Slim Jim jerky recipe creator, dies of covid-19
RALEIGH, N.C. — Alonzo “Lon” T. Adams II, the man who created the formula for Slim Jim beef jerky sticks, has died from complications of covid-19. He was 95. Lynn Barrow of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Raleigh, N.C., confirmed Wednesday that Adams died on Nov. 28. A graveside funeral service...
Coal magnate Robert Murray dies at 80; he long fought regulators
ST. CLAIRSVILLE, Ohio — Robert Murray, the board chairman of the largest privately owned U.S. coal operator, who long fought federal regulations to reduce black lung disease, died at his home in Ohio less than a week after announcing his retirement, a lawyer said. Michael Shaheen, an attorney who had...
New Stanton mayor Ronald Echard, dead at 68, remembered for civic involvement
When visitors and residents in New Stanton admire the town’s new holiday lights this year, in large part, they’ll have Ron Echard to thank. Echard, who most recently served as mayor, is credited as a driving force behind the planned holiday display — along with his wife, Linda, who serves...
Friends, family remember Salem teen as passionate, always smiling
When people think of Kenneth W. Miller Jr., two things tend to come to mind — his dirt bike and a smile that could make any bad day good again. “He had such a magnetic personality,” his mom, Deann Miller, said. “You couldn’t look at him without smiling. … He...
Regis Philbin, television personality and host, dies at 88
NEW YORK — Regis Philbin, the genial host who shared his life with television viewers over morning coffee for decades and helped himself and some fans strike it rich with the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” has died at 88. Philbin died of natural causes Friday night,...
Greensburg chiropractor had passion for cooking, outdoors, serving others
Dr. Thomas Hower’s nearly 60-year career as a Greensburg chiropractor was a natural fit. He spent his childhood years upstairs from the Main Street office where his similarly named father, a second-generation chiropractor, worked — and where he also would see patients as an adult. “A gentlemen came into the...
The Nest co-owner welcomed diners at Jeannette restaurant with friendly nature, flair for decor
Toni Nestico was a familiar, friendly face at The Nest Restaurant in Jeannette, where she served seafood dishes to customers for close to 30 years and was co-owner of the establishment, with her husband. “People loved her,” said her daughter, Alana, who used to wait tables at the restaurant along...
Dr. Lawrence Ferlan was truly a man for all seasons
Dr. Lawrence Ferlan’s daughter, Mary Ferlan, found the words to sum up her father’s life: “He was about going and seeing and doing and learning.” Dr. Ferlan, who lived in Harrison and practiced medicine in Tarentum for decades, died in his New Hampshire house last Thursday. He was 85. “Larry...
Joel Schumacher, director of ‘St. Elmo’s Fire,’ dies at 80
Joel Schumacher, the flamboyant journeyman director who dressed New York department store windows before shepherding the Brat Pack to the big screen in “St. Elmo’s Fire” and steering the Batman franchise into its most baroque territory in “Batman Forever” and “Batman & Robin,” has died. He was 80. A representative...
Clayton Falkner, ‘Mr. Birdville,’ championed efforts to restore Harrison war memorial
Clayton Falkner championed the effort to restore Harrison’s crumbling World War II Honor Roll memorial but didn’t get the chance to see it finished. Mr. Falkner, 84, died Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at the house in the township’s Birdville section where he lived his entire life. Mr. Falkner began lobbying...
Larry Kramer, playwright and AIDS activist, dies at 84
NEW YORK — Larry Kramer, the playwright whose angry voice and pen raised theatergoers’ consciousness about AIDS and roused thousands to militant protests in the early years of the epidemic, has died at 84. Bill Goldstein, a writer who was working on a biography of Kramer, confirmed the news to...
Retired Jeannette police captain was devoted to community
Paul Hartung wore a Jeannette Jayhawks watch that he never took off. “I think he loved serving his community, he had such pride in Jeannette,” said his daughter, Paula Jesiolkiewic. In the 1950s, Mr. Hartung applied for a job with the city fire department. He instead was offered a job...
Ken Osmond, Eddie Haskell on ‘Leave It to Beaver,’ dies
LOS ANGELES — Ken Osmond, who played the two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on TV’s “Leave It to Beaver,” died Monday, his family said. Osmond died in Los Angeles at age 76. No indication of the cause was given. “He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father,” son Eric Osmond...
McKeesport woman remembered as extraordinary teacher, friend of community
No one was surprised when Jamie Brewster Filotei came back to McKeesport after college, first earning a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s. Friends say the woman who attended Mansfield University of Pennsylvania on a basketball scholarship could have gone anywhere, but her roots were in McKeesport. And the city...
Humphreys woman loved working with 4-H
Sandy L. Lucas Ruggiero became involved in 4-H many years ago when her daughter wanted to raise rabbits. Although she grew up in Pittsburgh, not out in the country, Mrs. Ruggiero took to helping Jamie raise rabbits and served as a 4-H leader for many years, said her daughter, Jamie...
Former corrections officer from Greensburg loved family, games
Under normal circumstances, it might be concerning for a former county jail inmate to come walking up and say hello to a longtime corrections officer. But for Jacqueline Learn of Greensburg it was just another part of her day. “Even the prisoners called her ‘Miss Jackie,’” said Ms. Learn’s brother,...
North Huntingdon businessman believed in family, community
C. Gary Dinsel believed in setting goals and sticking to them. He set four big goals over the course of his life: finishing high school, finishing college, raising a family and making a difference in the world as a businessman. He accomplished all four, according to his wife, Barbara Dinsel....
Carmelite nun was handy with a set of carpenter’s tools
When the sisters of Carmel of the Assumption first moved into the Lawson Heights home known as the “Murphy mansion,” they had some difficulty with the particulars of the older building. “The floors in the chapel were crooked and we all got bad knees from kneeling,” said Sister Marie Elizabeth....
Golf pro loved the game, befriended by Deacon and Arnold Palmer
The game of golf gave Martin R. Statler entree to a world far different from the Latrobe in which he grew up during World War II. Mr. Statler was tutored in golf by Latrobe Country Club pro Jerome “Deacon” Palmer and golfed with his son, Arnold Palmer, as well as...
Former Westmoreland congressman, state Auditor General Donald Bailey’s life was driven by competition
Whether it was on a wrestling mat, football field, battlefield or in politics, friends of former Westmoreland County Congressman and Pennsylvania Auditor General Donald A. Bailey say he relished competition. “Don was one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met, and he was certainly driven in everything he did....
Air Force veteran loved outdoors, spending time with family
Don Hyatt was married to his wife, Eleanor, for 60 years before they realized they were baptized on the same day at Grace Fellowship Church in Everson. The couple formally met years later while at a Scottdale restaurant. “He was wonderful,” Eleanor Hyatt said. “I was married to him for...
Greensburg man a veteran of 18 naval battles during World War II
During one of the 18 naval battles Michael E. Pahnos fought aboard the USS Canberra during World War II, the young cannon operator was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he was panicked to discover that he was in the ship’s morgue, under several dead shipmates. “He hardly ever talked about...
Jeannette man remembered for time in service
When Linda Reddy was growing up with her brother, Louis Chishko Jr., she would spend hours with him while he worked on cars. “When I was little and he would be working on a vehicle or something in the years before he went to the Navy, I was always right...
Greensburg native had ‘the best’ life
If everything in Bill Heubel’s world was “the best,” as he liked to say, then his life would fit that description too. “He was quite a man,” said his niece, Bernadette Scully. Mr. Heubel was a veteran, a retired lawyer, a world traveler, an avid golfer, a musician, a composer,...
Obituary: William L. ‘Bill’ Smith of Upper St. Clair worked 42 years at U.S. Steel
Martin J. Smith once reached into the pocket of a tuxedo jacket his father William L. “Bill” Smith had given him and pulled out a special pin. The Civitan International pin had been passed down from Martin Smith’s grandfather. To the Smith family, it represented a life well lived. Smith...
