Category: Obit

Margaret Lozinak Lawrence 1924-2016

Margaret Lozinak Lawrence
Margaret Lozinak Lawrence with grandchildren Miranda and Anthony Lawrence in 2006.

Margaret Lozinak Lawrence 1924-2016 — Margaret Jane Lozinak Lawrence, a 54-year resident of Springfield, Pa., died June 10 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She was 92.

She was described  by those who knew her  best as the kindest, most loving and  gentle person they had ever known. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need.

Mrs. Lawrence was born in Eckley, Pa., to Michael and Catherine Lozinak. Michael was a coal miner. She was one of 10 children.

Mrs. Lawrence enrolled in the nursing program in the Old Blockley at Philadelphia General Hospital (PGH) after graduating from Foster Township High School. She always felt that Blockley was the best nursing school in America. Her inspiration was her older sister Mary “Mame” Lozinak who served as a nurse in World War II and would make a career of the military.

After graduating from PGH, Mrs. Lawrence joined the U.S Army’s Nurse Corps. She served in the Korean War with the 11th Evacuation Hospital. A quote from her is inscribed on one of the pillars at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial in Newtown Square. She was among the recipients of the 2015 Delaware County Freedom Medal and participated in the inaugural Philadelphia Veterans Day parade, last fall.

Mrs. Lawrence returned to Philadelphia and continued nursing at the city’s Veterans Administration Hospital. She married William Lawrence in 1959 and became a full-time mom to three boys, William II, Robert and Christopher. She returned to nursing part-time when her sons started school, first at the Philadelphia VA, then at Bishop Nursing Home in Media.

In 1992, she gave up her nursing career to become office manager of the family business, the Garnet Valley Press, a job she held until 2008.

She enjoyed taking long walks with her dog, Peewee, and helping her son William make wine.

During her three-week hospital stay, her biggest concerns were celebrating her granddaughter Miranda’s birthday and a Father’s Day party for her husband. She had a joy for life, her mind was great until the end and her last words were literally laughter.

She is survived by her husband and sons; her daughter-in-law Cynthia;, her grandchildren, Anthony, Miranda, Kyley and Skyler; sisters Elsie and Dorothy; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be 9:30 a.m., Friday, June 17, at Holy Myrrh-Bearer’s Church, 900 Fairview Road, Swarthmore, PA 19081 with a service to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Myrrh-Bearer’s.

 

 

Margaret Lozinak Lawrence 1924-2016

Fred Cherry R.I.P.

Fred CherryFred Cherry, an Air Force fighter pilot, who spent more than seven years as a POW in North Vietnam after being shot down in 1965 died Feb. 16.

He was 87.

An excellent obituary which details his courage and dignity can be found at Stars and Stripes here.

Fred Cherry R.I.P.

William Heider R.I.P.

William Heider R.I.P.William Heider R.I.P. — William A. Heider of Springfield, Pa., died Dec. 27. He was 77.

Mr. Heider was born in Passaic, N. J. He was the son of the late William and Ruth Heider (nee Bonnema).

He was a proud 1st Lieutenant in the New Jersey National Guard. He was employed as an engineer and product manager for AT&T, launching telephone prototypes. He had a great sense of humor, a big heart and loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He was a swimming official for his daughters’ swimming careers with PCY Dolphins.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn (nee Kole), his children Jennifer Berenyi (Norbert), Melissa Companick (John), and Alison Lavery (Billy), his grandchildren Isabella, Julianna, Liam, Alyssa and Ryan, his siblings Anna Dolack (the late David), Ellen Mitro (John), Ruth Cabral and Richard Heider (Linda), and many nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit the family  10-11 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 2,  at  The Donohue Funeral Home, 3300 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square, PA  followed by a memorial service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 150 Monument Road, Suite 100, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004.

William Heider R.I.P.

Tom Bergbauer R.I.P.

 Tom Bergbauer R.I.P.Tom Bergbauer died  yesterday, Dec. 9.
He was 82 and lived in Sicklerville, N. J.
Thomas A. Bergbauer had worked 38 years as a reporter with the Courier Post and was vice president of the Philadelphia Press Association.
He is survived by his wife Doris C. (nee Narciso); son, Thoma  Jr.; daugher,  Teresa Gericke ;  four grandchildren, Thomas A. Bergbauer, III , Samantha Bergbauer, John Gericke, IV and Ryan Gericke; great grandson Luke Bergbauer and his  brother Louis V. Bergbauer and the late Francis Bergbauer.
Tom belonged to the Vita Nuova Sons of Italy Lodge #2327. He was very active with the Knights of Columbus and was a third degree honorary life member of the Santa Maria Council #1443 in Haddon Twp. and a fourth degree member of Bishop Eustace Assembly #652 and its color corps. Tom was also a volunteer at the Cathedral Kitchen.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.
There will be a viewing from 9:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Saturday morning at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, St. Luke’s Church, 55 Warwick Rd., Stratford, N.J. 08084. Funeral Mass 12 noon at church. Interment New St. Mary’s Cemetery, Bellmawr.
Family and friends may share memories at www.GardnerFuneralHome.com.
Tom Bergbauer R.I.P.

Tom Smith R.I.P.

Tom Smith, the coal miner, farmer, family-man, businessman who took on the establishment in 2012 to become the Republican U.S. senate candidate, died yesterday, Oct. 17, at his home in Shelocta. Tom Smith, the coal miner, farmer, family-man, businessman who took on the establishment in 2012 to become the Republican U.S. senate candidate, died yesterday, Oct. 17, at his home in Shelocta.

He was 67.

Mr. Smith was a life-long member of Mt. Union Lutheran Church, belonged to the Pennsylvania Coal Association, and served on the Board of the Commonwealth Foundation.

He is survived by his mother, Esther (Brown) Smith, of Indiana; loving wife, Saundra R. “Saundy” (Shea) Smith, whom he married June 8, 1968; son, Domingo Smith and wife, Laura, of Erie; daughters, Malinda Oesterling and husband, Matthew, of Shelocta, Allison Ball and husband, Eric, of Dixonville, Jessica Smith, of Shelocta, Lupita Smith, of Indiana, Daisy Smith, of Shelocta, and Kimberly Brown and husband, Timothy, of Shelocta; grandchildren, Ethan, Abigail, Ezra and Aiden Oesterling, Elijah Smith, Adam and Alexandra Ball, and Logan and Kamden Brown; brothers, Raymond Smith and wife, Nancy, of Allison Park, and Randall Smith and wife, Sandy, of Shelocta; and sister, Karen Aune and husband, Alan of Anoka, MN.

Mr. Smith grew up on a farm in Armstrong County which is still his home today. The Elderton High School Class of ’65 graduate had to forego college to take care of it for his terminally ill father. After he married his high school sweetheart, Saundy, who had gone on to college to become a teacher, he worked the farm in the day and ran heavy machinery in a coal mine in the evenings.

He worked this way for 11 years noting he was a member in good standing with United Mine Workers of America for a bit of that time and that he was going to enjoy their reaction when he started collecting a partial pension from them.

He went into the coal business for himself in the early ’80s. He described the difficulties he had in getting a loan and how he had to mortgage his home to get the capital to rent heavy equipment, which was by the month.

He succeeded and expanded and reached the point where his companies employed 130 people and annually took more than a million tons of coal from the ground.

He sold the companies in 2010.

Mr. Smith, who was a Democrat, for most of his life became involved in politics because he feared for his children’s future due to the policies being pursued by those now running things notably of a fiscal nature.

“Can you imagine a family going for 1,000 days without a budget?” he said at an event in 2012. “I can’t look young people in the eye knowing what my generation was responsible for,” he said.

The family will receive friends from 7-9 PM on Monday, October 19, 2015 and from 2-4 and 7-9 PM on Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at the Smith Complex, 2340 Smith Rd., Shelocta, PA.

Additional visitation will be from 10 AM until the time of funeral services at 11 AM on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 at Mt. Union Lutheran Church, 1051 Girty Rd., Shelocta, with the Pastor Joyce Dix-Weiers officiating.

Interment will follow in Mt. Union Lutheran Cemetery.

Contributions can be made in Tom’s honor to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 or Mt. Union Lutheran Church, 1051 Girty Rd., Shelocta, PA 15774.

Tom Smith R.I.P.

John Roman R.I.P.

John M. Roman, journalist extraordinaire, died last week. He was 73. John worked for the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and the Delaware County Daily Times. He was the author of the mystery novel “Ink in His Blood” set in Philadelphia.   John Roman book signed

John was likely the first journalist who gave extensive coverage to Nicholas Yarris, who spent 21 years on death row for a rape-murder in Upper Chichester before being exonerated by DNA tests.

Phil Heron, his editor at the Times, has written a touching tribute.

When I walked into the Delaware County Daily Times newsroom here in beautiful downtown Primos for the first time back in 1982, one of the first people I met was John Roman. He stuck out his hand and offered a hearty welcome to the new guy who was shaking in his boots as he braced himself for the challenge of being the dayside city editor at the Daily Times.

Go here for the full column.

Update: All services for John will be Friday morning, Sept. 9, at Sacred Heart Church in Manoa, 105 Wilson Ave. Havertown, PA 19083 Visitation is 9:45 to 10:45 followed by Mass.
John Roman R.I.P.

Barbara Mazurick, R.I.P.

Barbara Mazurick

Barbara Mazurick

Barbara V. Mazurick, 70, a loving wife, devoted mother of four, mommom to four grandchildren, wonderful mother-in-law and faithful Christian, died Monday morning at St. Luke Pavilion in Hazleton, Pa., where she had been a guest.

She was the mother, mother-in-law and grandmother of Todd, Nicole and Samantha Mazurick of Springfield, Pa.

She was born in Hazleton, daughter of the late Andrew and Veronica (Hollick) Grega.

She was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Weatherly.

Barbara is also survived by her husband, Michael Mazurick;  Tina Whitlow and her husband, Todd, Berwyn;  Carissa Mazurick, Bryn Mawr; and Leanne Mazurick and her partner, Karen Belli, Dallas; brothers and sisters, Gerald Grega, Hazle Township; Jane Seamon and her husband, Donald, Jeddo; Andrew “Buddy” Grega and his wife, Donna, Hazle Township; Maryanne Lynn and her husband, Ronald, Hazleton; Thomas Grega and his wife, Nancy, Hazleton; and John Grega and his wife, Chris, Freeland; four grandchildren that meant the world to her, Bridget and Conner Whitlow and Samantha and Nolan Mazurick; and several nieces and nephews.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Weatherly. Interment will be held in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Beaver Meadows. The family will receive friends and relatives Saturday at the church from 9 to 10 a.m. prior to the Funeral Mass.

Barbara was always putting others before herself, so in lieu of flowers please consider donating in her memory to the American Cancer Society, 101 W. Frack St., Frackville, PA 17931, or the Beaver Meadows Food Bank, c/o St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Second Street, Beaver Meadows, PA 18216.

Arrangements are under the direction of Frank J. Bonin Funeral Home Inc., 542 N. Wyoming St., Hazleton.

Frank Videon Jr. R.I.P.

Frank Videon Jr. R.I.P.Frank Videon Jr.

Frank C. Videon Jr. died June 12 at his home in West Chester following a long battle with stomach cancer. He was 70.

He was the proprietor of Videon Chevrolet in Newtown Square and was known for the friendly advertising rivalry with his brothers Wayne and Steve who had Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep dealerships in Newtown Square.

The ads would be full page on the back page of the County Press and often feature headshots of the other brothers on top of farm animals or childhood photographs of them.

As the advertising space rotated among the dealerships, Frank Jr. would find himself the subject of retaliation.

Frank ran the Chevy dealership until 2009 when General Motors forced him to close as part of the Obama restructuring.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Carol; his mother,  Edna; daughters Tara, Tracy and Tami; and seven grandchildren.

His father, Frank Sr., died in 2011.

Visitation will be 12:30 p.m., Sunday, June 22, at Newtown Square Presbyterian Church, 3600 Goshen Road, which will be followed by a funeral at 2 p.m.

Donations may be sent to Newtown Square Presbyterian Church or the American Cancer Society, Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718.

 

Jane Galloway R.I.P.

Jane Galloway died we were just told.

Jane was an Upper Darby school teacher who after retiring became  a long-time, award-winning writer for the Press Papers of Delaware County, Pa.

She was in her mid-eighties and graduated from Haverford High School in the late 1940s.

She lived many years in Springfield before moving to Granite Farms Estate in Middletown.

She attended Grace Chapel Church in Havertown.

A service at Granite Farms Estate is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., June 6.

She was one of the sweetest people you’d ever want to know.

 

Jane Galloway R.I.P.

Jane Galloway R.I.P.