OBITUARIES

Jul 14, 2018

Robert L. Burke, 71, of Monessen, died Saturday, July 14, 2018 at Donnell House, Washington.  Born April 9, 1947 in Scranton, PA he was the son of the late Leonard and Elizabeth Gilmartin Burke.  A resident of Monessen for the past 15 years, Mr. Burke was a member of St. Sebastian RC Church, Belle Vernon.  Bob attended Scranton Prepatory...

Jul 13, 2018

Sherman Ray Smith, Jr., 70, of Perryopolis, Perry Twp., passed away Friday, July 13, 2018 at Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Jefferson Hills.  Born August 20, 1947 in Oak Hill, WV he was the son of the late Sherman R. Smith Sr.  and Evelyn Osborne Smith who survives and resides in Perry Twp.   A resident of Perryopolis for the past...

Jul 11, 2018

Elsie Mellon Kowasic, 79, of Fayette City, Naomi, passed away peacefully Wednesday, July 11, 2018 at Select Specialty Hospital, Latrobe surrounded by her family.  Elsie was born March 27, 1939 in Gastonville, PA she was the daughter of the late Cecil Homer and Doris Loadman Mellon.  A resident of Naomi for the past 53 years, Mrs. Kowasic was a...

Jul 7, 2018

Virginia L. Vero Bellora, 62, of Belle Vernon, Rostraver Twp., died Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Mon Valley Hospital, Carroll Twp.  Born May 11, 1956 in New Eagle, she was the daughter of her late birth father James Vero and her late parents Marco and Gilda Amatangelo Vero Volante.  Having previously residing in Monessen Virginia was a resident of...

Jun 25, 2018

Beth Pirchesky Schaffer, 62, of Belle Vernon, Washington Twp., died Monday, June 25, 2018 at Donnell House, Washington.  Born July 3, 1955 in N. Charleroi, she was the daughter of the late Bernard and Ruth Ziskind Pirchesky.  A resident of Belle Vernon most of her life, Mrs. Schaffer was Jewish by faith, worked for Aetna Health Insurance as a...

Jun 18, 2018

Eugene 'Gene' Lancas, 69, of Carroll Township, passed away on Monday, June 18, 2018. Born in Pittsburgh on October 3,1948, he was the son of the late Joseph and Lottie Volkavich Lancas. A 1966 graduate of Monessen High School, Gene was a guidance counselor for 39 years at Belle Vernon Area High School, where he helped to shape the...

Jun 18, 2018

Ronald E. Britt, 68, of Perryopolis, Perry Twp., died Monday, June 18, 2018 at his home.  Born August 25, 1949 in N. Charleroi, he was the son of the late James E. and Rose Porter Britt.  Mr. Britt was a resident of Perryopolis for the past 40 years.

He is survived by a son & daughter in...

Jun 15, 2018

Nicole Larew, 35, of North Belle Vernon, died Friday, June 15, 2018 at Mon Valley Hospital, Carroll Twp.  Born August 11, 1982 in Monongahela, she was the daughter of Russell Larew of Marianna and Debra Brewer Larew of North Belle Vernon.  A resident of Belle Vernon for the past 25 years, Nicole Larew was Christian by faith and worked...

Jun 14, 2018

Edna Mae Cole Swearer, 86, of Belle Vernon, Rostraver Twp., died Thursday, June 14, 2018 at Westmoreland Manor, Greensburg.  Born September 8, 1931 in Fredericktown, she was the daughter of the late Albert Franklin and Edna Johanna Carlson Cole.  A lifelong resident of Belle Vernon, Mrs. Swearer was a member of the First Christian Church of Brownsville where she...

Jun 1, 2018

Marion J. Dean, 89, of Vanderbilt, died Friday, June 1, 2018 at his home.  Born December 21, 1928 in Franklin Twp., he was the son of the late Harry M. and Margaret Riggin Dean.  A lifelong resident of Vanderbilt, Mr. Dean was a member of the Flatwoods Baptist Church.  Marion started his career at Farmer's Dairy, worked for Penn...

May 22, 2018

Julia E. Torruiso Martin, 89, of Perryopolis, Perry Twp., died Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 9:42 pm at Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown.  Born May 6, 1929 in Star Junction., she was the daughter of the late Angelo and Mary Szakal Torruiso.  A lifelong resident of Perryopolis, Mrs. Martin was Baptist by faith and a homemaker.

She is survived...

May 13, 2018

Everett Frank 'Butch' McElfresh, 59, of North Belle Vernon, died Sunday, May 13, 2018 at Mon Valley Hospital, Carroll Twp.  Born January 1, 1959 in N. Charleroi, he was the son of Everette H. and Geraldine Kearns McElfresh of Monessen.  A resident of North Belle Vernon for the past 37 years, Mr. McElfresh was Baptist by faith and a...

May 12, 2018

Linda Marie Phillips, 59, of Perryopolis, passed away Saturday, May 12, 2018 at her home.  Born August 19, 1958 in Connellsville, she was the daughter of the late Donald J. Phillips and Wilma June McClanahan Phillips Ansell and husband Kenny who survive and reside in Dawson.  A resident of Perryopolis for the past 3 years, Mrs. Phillips was a...

May 11, 2018

Matthew Attanucci, 49, of Perryopolis, died Friday, May 11, 2018 at Uniontown Hospital, Uniontown.  Born March 10, 1969 in Pittsburgh, he was the son of Caesar and Carole Lippl DeFrancisco of Chalk Hill, PA.  A resident of Perryopolis for the past 20 years, Mr. Attanucci was a member of St. John The Baptist RC Church and was a senior...

May 8, 2018

William Dempsey Weaver, 89, of Belle Vernon, Rostraver Twp., died Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 9:11 pm at his home.  Born August 16, 1928 in Chattanooga, TN he was the son of the late  Gertrude Mann.  A resident of Belle Vernon for the past 68 years, Mr. Weaver was a member of St. Sebastian R.C. Church.  An electrician by...

Apr 29, 2018

George A. Kelly, 61, of Vanderbilt, died Sunday, April 29, 2018 at Laurel Ridge Nursing Center, Uniontown.  Born January 8, 1957 in Philadelphia, PA he was the son of the late Edward and Helen Skegas Kelly.  He is survived by a sister Marilyn McVay and a brother Paul E. Kelly.  Funeral services will be private for the family.  Funeral...

Apr 28, 2018

Andrew Huzinec, formerly of Perryopolis, PA, and Glassport, PA, fell asleep in the Lord on April 28, 2018 at Juniper Village at Forest Hills.  He lived a vibrant life of 97 years. A shining example of the Greatest Generation, Andy was a quirky and accomplished man whose family was his cornerstone.   His Carpatho-Rusyn, “coal patch’’ roots had a significant...

Apr 27, 2018

Lena Fusacchia Lazzaro, 93, of Belle Vernon, died peacefully at home in Belle Vernon.  Born June 10, 1924 in McKeesport, she was the daughter of the late Gesualdo and Angeline Curcio Fusacchia.  Lena worked in McKeesport Candyettes and was the first woman hired at Christy Park Works Steel Mill in McKeesport.  Her work assignment consisted of measuring the amount...

Apr 27, 2018

Gwyn Varega Halkias, 67, of North Belle Vernon, passed away Friday, April 27, 2018 surrounded by her family.  Born June 16, 1950 in N. Charleroi, she was the daughter of the late John F. and Bonny A. Lancaster Varega.  A lifelong resident of Belle Vernon, Gwyn was a retired language and reading teacher and was an avid reader.

Apr 25, 2018

Sadye V. Neil Myers, 91, of Belle Vernon, died Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at Country Care Manor, Washington Twp.  Born November 29, 1926 in Belle Vernon, she was the daughter of the late John C. and Sadye Collart Neil.  A lifelong resident of North Belle Vernon, Mrs. Myers was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Belle...