Obituary Stories category, Page 38
Claridge postmaster served his country in war and peace
Charles Ocepek served in the Army during World War II and worked as the postmaster for his hometown of Claridge in Penn Township. “He served his country in times of war and served his country in times of peace,” said his son, Karl Ocepek of Downington. Charles Ocepek of Claridge...
West Newton man enjoyed sharing his passions
Although Stephen Fanala worked for 45 years in the steel industry, it was his avocations that defined him. Mr. Fanala loved to fly, and he loved to teach others about hunting and trapping. “These were not just hobbies for him — these were lifelong passions of his,” said his daughter,...
North Huntingdon restaurant owner leaves legacy in Fontana’s Cafe
Mary Fontana and her husband James helped open Fontana’s Cafe in North Huntingdon well over 50 years ago. The newly married couple used extra money they had saved to help James’ parents realize their dream of owning a restaurant. “She was generous with her life, and she was especially kind...
Lynn Hoak, wife of Steelers coach, devoted life to family
While her husband was on the road as the running backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lynn Hoak dedicated herself to her children. “She was always centered around the house and the family,” said her daughter Kelly Shuster. She would ferry them to dance lessons, skating lessons and other activities,...
102-year-old retired teacher started in one-room Derry Twp. schoolhouse
Thelma Kosmach started her teaching career in a one-room schoolhouse in the Village of Gray Station in Derry Township in the mid 1940s. She was paid $7 a month to teach first through eighth grades all subjects, including music and art. In addition to teaching, she scrubbed floors, filled the...
Devoted wife, mother, took care of injured daughter
Donna Liberatore took care of her daughter Stacie, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car wreck near Mountain View on July 4, 1990, and was hospitalized for eight months. “She was the devoted therapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist. She did a tremendous job in getting her (Stacie’s)...
Greensburg man shared woodworking talent with church, community
Ed Iezzi discovered his talent for woodworking following a real mid-life crisis. “He got interested in it when he had open heart surgery when he was 40 and he was laid up for a couple of months,” said his son, Christopher. With time on his hands, Mr. Iezzi invested in...
Longtime Jayhawks football announcer loved music, sports, news
Joe Pacelli of Trafford would have been happy enough just sitting in the front row, watching Tony Bennett perform at the Venetian Room, during a trip to San Francisco in the 1980s. But he was ready to fly himself to the moon when he saw Bennett on the street the...
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....
