Obituaries by LocationGarrahan, Francis
October 21, 2000
Francis D. Garrahan, 54, of Poplar Street, Kingston, died Saturday at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Born Aug. 20, 1946, in Kingston, he was a son of the late Francis and Mary (Masalonis) Garrahan.
He was educated at Forty Fort High School and Wilkes College.
He was an inspector for Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Hanover Township.
He was a member of the Wyoming Valley Art League and the McDonald Art Gallery of College Misericordia, and received regional and national awards for his work, including signature membership in the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. He was a member of St. Ignatius Church, Kingston, and the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology Frances Dorrance Chapter 11, Wilkes-Barre.
He was preceded in death
by his sister, Carol Yeager.
Surviving are his wife of 27 years, the former Jill A. Simms; sons, Christopher D., Kingston; and David F., at home; sister, Marilou Geiger, Seattle, Wash.; and brother, Paul, Plymouth.
Funeral services will be at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday from the Maher-Collins Funeral Home, 360 N. Maple Ave., Kingston, with a funeral Mass at 9 a.m. in St. Ignatius Church.
Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Pringle.
Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Ignatius Renovation Fund, 339 N. Maple Ave., Kingston, Pa. 18704.
Goss, Katherine
October 22, 2000
Katherine N. (Jones) Goss, 53, of Larksville, formerly of Shavertown, died Sunday at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Funeral arrangements are pending from the Richard H. Disque Funeral Home Inc., 672 Memorial Highway, Dallas.
Holt, Catherine
October 22, 2000
Catherine E. (Rollman) Holt, 84, of East Church Street, Nanticoke, died Sunday at the Birchwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Nanticoke.
Born Aug. 2, 1916, in Reading, she was a daughter of the late Charles and Catherine (Dunkleberger) Rollman.
She attended Reading public schools.
She worked for Shulton Inc., Clifton, N.J., and for Medical Fabrics, Paterson, N.J.
She attended the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Nanticoke.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dominic Canto; second husband, Edward Holt; and brother, Leon Rollman.
Surviving are her daughter, Vivian Willemsen, with whom she resided; two grandsons; four great-grandchildren; two nieces and one nephew.
A memorial service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, 120 S. Walnut St., Nanticoke, with the Rev. Wayne O. Beaver officiating.
Interment will be in St. John's (Hain's) United Church of Christ Cemetery, Wernersville.
There will be no calling hours.
Memorial donations may be made to the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Nanticoke.
Arrangements are by the Davis-Dinelli Funeral Home, 170 E. Broad St., Nanticoke.
Mastroff, Esther
October 21, 2000
Esther (Steinberg) Mastroff, 91, formerly of Third Avenue, Kingston, died Saturday at the Hospice of the VNA, Heritage House, Wilkes-Barre.
Born in Bayonne, N.J., she was a daughter of the late Alexander and Bessie (Saidman) Steinberg.
She was a member of the Jewish Community Center and its Leisure Lounge, and Ohav Zedek Synagogue, Wilkes-Barre.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Maurice; son, Bernard; brothers, Benjamin and Samuel Steinberg; and sister, Jean Pezzner.
Surviving are five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. today from the Rosenberg Funeral Chapel, 348 S. River St., Wilkes-Barre, with Rabbi Meir Rosenberg officiating.
Interment will be in Workman Circle Cemetery, Shavertown.
Nesbitt, Willard
October 21, 2000
Willard John Nesbitt, 32, of Ashley Street, Ashley, died Saturday at Nesbitt Memorial Hospital, Kingston.
Funeral arrangements are pending from the George A. Strish Inc. Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St., Ashley.
Paraschak, Joseph
October 21, 2000
Joseph Paraschak, 74, of Sweet Valley, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, died Saturday at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Born April 8, 1926, in Luzerne, he was a son of the late Peter and Anna (Hine) Paraschak.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean conflict.
He was a coal miner in various local mines and worked for Stress Steel, Wilkes-Barre.
He was a member of the Dallas American Legion.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Peter Jr.; and sister, Mary Alunis.
Surviving are his wife of 53 years, the former Helen Lumbis; son, Joseph Jr., Wilkes-Barre; daughter, Paulette Krochta, Lake Silkworth; brothers, Michael, Pikes Creek; Jack, Luzerne; and Walter, Lake Wallenpaupack; sister, Patricia Schicki, New Jersey; five grandsons; and one great-grandson.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday from the Maple Grove United Methodist Church, Pikes Creek, with the Rev. Mary Jean Simonin officiating.
There will be no calling hours.
Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
Arrangements are by the Curtis L. Swanson Funeral Home Inc., Hunlock Creek.
Searfoss, Arthur
October 21, 2000
Arthur H. Searfoss, of Vulcan Street, Wilkes-Barre, died Saturday at the Hampton House Nursing Home, Hanover Township.
Funeral arrangements are pending from the James M. Desiderio Jr. Inc. Funeral Home, 2 Academy Road, Marion Terrace, Hanover Township.
Cosimo, Paul
October 19, 2000
Paul Cosimo, 69, of Manville, N.J., died Thursday at his home.He was born in Michigan and was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Korean War.He worked for Delco Battery, New Brunswick, N.J.
Jarecki Jr., John
October 21, 2000
John "Jack" Jarecki Jr., 59, of Wilkes-Barre, died Saturday at Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre.
Born in Wilkes-Barre, he was a son of the late Veronica (Watchilla) and John Jarecki Sr.
He was a 1958 graduate of Coughlin High School and attended Wilkes College.
He was a U.S. Army veteran.
He was an assistant editor for the Wyoming Valley Observer and worked in the computer department at Leslie Fay.
He was a member of the Wilkes-Barre American Legion Post 132, the North End Slovak Club, the North End Athletic Association and the Wilkes-Barre City Democratic Club.
Surviving are his brother, James, Wilkes-Barre; sister, Patricia Lupinski, Throop; three nephews and two nieces.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday from the Corcoran Funeral Home, 20 S. Main St., Plains Township.
Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Hanover Township.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. until service time Tuesday.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, 57 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 18701.
Podrasky Jr., Michael
October 23, 2000
Michael B. Podrasky Jr., of Park Avenue Towers, Wilkes-Barre, died Thursday at his home.
Born Dec. 16, 1954, in Edwardsville, he was a son of Thekla (Berdy) Podrasky, Houston, Texas, and the late Michael B. Podrasky Sr.
He was a graduate of Wyoming Valley West High School.
He worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Resources, Wilkes-Barre.
Surviving in addition to his mother are his sisters, Anne Kellas, and Mary Patricia McKee, both of Houston, Texas; two nephews and two nieces.
Funeral services will be at the convenience of the family.
There will be no calling hours.
Arrangements are by the Bednarski Funeral Home, 27 Park Ave., Wilkes-Barre.
Turak, Anna
October 21, 2000
Anna (Vakauskas) Turak, 93, of West State Street, Larksville, formerly of Plymouth and Hunlock Creek, died Saturday at the Meadows Nursing Center, Dallas.Born Oct. 6, 1907, in Plymouth, she was a daughter of the late John and Antonia (Galinas) (Bukowski) Vakauskas.
Wintermute, Donald
October 22, 2000
Donald Decker Wintermute, of RR 1, Mehoopany, died Sunday at Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton.
Born May 16, 1923, in Forkston, he was a son of the late Roy R. and Beatrice (Decker) Wintermute.
He was a 1941 graduate of Forkston High School.
He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving in the Aleutian and Philippine Islands and attaining the rank of corporal.
He worked for Northern Penn Power Co., as lineman and foreman for Sordoni Construction and other electrical contractors, and as a U.S. Postal carrier in Mehoopany, Hop Bottom and Tunkhannock.
He was instrumental in the creation of the FWM Emergency Squad in Mehoopany. He was a first aid and EMT instructor in Wyoming County and treasurer of the FWM Fire Company, Mehoopany. He was a charter member of the Mehoopany VFW Post 3583 and a member of Temple Lodge 248 F&AM.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Dorothy Miner.
Surviving are his wife of 49 years, the former Bertha M. Phinney; sons, Robert L., Ambler; Stephen C., Albany, Ga.; and Roy D., Dalton; daughters, Ruth Forer, Enola; and Jane Rundell, Meshoppen; brothers, Kenneth, Mehoopany; and Roger and Carl, both of Forkston; and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday from the Sheldon-Kukuchka Funeral Home Inc., 73 W. Tioga St., Tunkhannock, with the Rev. Victor W. Decker officiating.
Interment will be in Forkston Cemetery.
Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. Masonic services will be at 8 p.m. by Temple Lodge 248 F&AM.
Memorial donations may be made to the FWM Emergency Squad, P.O. Box 182, Mehoopany, Pa. 18629.
Augaitis, Mary
October 24, 2000
Mary "Lake Carey Mary" Augaitis, 73, of Lake Carey, Tunkhannock, died Monday at the Hospice Unit of Mercy Hospital, Wilkes-Barre.
Born July 24, 1927, in Wilkes-Barre, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Kate Augaitus. She was active in the Sportsman's Club of Lake Carey and the Lake Carey Homeowners Association.
She was preceded in death by her son, Paul V. Wright.
Surviving are four grandchildren; sister, Isabelle Brown, Wilkes-Barre; nieces and nephews.
Interment services will be held at the convenience of the family. There will be no calling hours. Memorial donations may be made to the Sportsman's Club of Lake Carey, Box 385, Tunkhannock, 18657; or Hospice Community Care, Kingston. Arrangements are by the Kniffen O'Malley Funeral Home, Inc., 465 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre.
