All Obituaries

William Earl Hanlon, age 73, of Zelienople, formerly of Mars, left this earth on Saturday morning, May 18, 2019.  He was quite simply . . . .the best dad ever, not only to his children but to others as well.  He was smart, funny, loving, gentle, brave, a teacher, generous and was the rock of our family. Born in New Kensington, PA on September 3, 1945, he was the son of the late Earl and Gladys McGinnis Hanlon. He was the Dad who drove the boat while the kids water-skied. He was...

Elizabeth L. “Betty” Jordan, age 87, of Mars, formerly of Harmony, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 16, 2019 at North Hills Health & Rehab in Wexford. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on November 23, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Fred and Hedwig Pyka Lochner. Betty was a nurse for the United States Air Force Nurse Corp. from 1956 to 1958 and then worked for various Pittsburgh area hospitals. She was a member at LifePointe Alliance Church in Mars and also the...

Kathleen Marie Wells, age 62, of Richland Twp., Gibsonia, passed away on Tuesday morning, May 14, 2019 in the comfort of her home with her family by her side. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on October 22, 1956, she was the daughter of the late William and Rosemary Spencer Jorden. Kathleen was a Postal Supervisor at the Bulk Mail Center in Warrendale. She attended Glade Run Presbyterian Church and enjoyed bowling and her card club. Surviving are two daughters, Christa Wells-Woolslare (Darren) of...

Patricia M. Fincher, age 86, of Butler, passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2019 at Concordia of Cabot. Born in Pittsburgh, on April 21, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Eleanor Crawford. Pat was a teacher’s aide for Penn Elementary. She also worked at Boscov’s in the gift wrapping department. She volunteered at the Saxonburg Library as well as the WIC Agency in Butler. Pat loved to embroider and cross-stitch. She will be deeply missed. Surviving are her children,...

Colleen R. Blystone, age 81, of Mars, formerly of Pine Twp., passed away on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at Good Samaritan Hospice in Wexford. Born in Deer Creek, PA on March 1, 1938, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Elinor Hunter Bonin. Colleen worked in the cafeteria at Pine-Richland Middle School. Surviving are two sons, Robert C. (Kellie) Blystone of Cranberry Twp. and Timothy M. Blystone of Beaver Co., PA; grandchildren, Robert C. (Marilyn) Blystone, Jr., Zachary Blystone, and...

Margaret N. “Peg” Ellis, age 94, of Mars, passed away on Wednesday morning, May 8, 2019, in the comfort of her home with her family at her side. Born in Portage, PA, on May 14, 1924, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Madge Seese Norman. Peg had been a registered nurse and was in the Nursing Cadet Corps during W.W. II.  She later worked at Butler Deshon Veterans Hospital. She was a member of Hope Lutheran Church in Cranberry Twp., where she belonged to WELCA-the...

Daniel R. Black, Sr., age 87, of Mars, passed away on Monday, May 6, 2019 at Butler Memorial Hospital. Born on June 7, 1931, in Dudley, PA, he was the son of the late Chester and Martha Hile Black. Dan was a construction foreman and eventually started and ran his own business, Dan Black Excavating. He proudly served in the United States Army during the Korean War and was a member of the Mars V.F.W. Post 7505. He was also a volunteer fireman for many years. Dan was a member of...

Thomas “Tom” W. McKeon, age 81, of Mars, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2019 at Good Samaritan Hospice in Wexford. Born in Cooperstown, PA, on January 26, 1938, he was the son of the late Francis P. and Agnes McDonald McKeon. He was a graduate of Mars Area High School in 1955. Tom retired from Armco Steel in 1999. He was the former owner of McKeon’s Beer Distributor. He later worked as the groundskeeper of Mars Cemetery and as a greeter at McDonald-Aeberli Funeral...

Florence E. Palmer, age 88, of Butler, formerly of Connoquenessing, passed away on Sunday morning, May 5, 2019 at New Haven Court in Butler. Born in West Deer Twp., PA on April 18, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Irene Baumgartel Pfirrman. Florence was a member of the Christ Community United Methodist Church in Butler. She had been a secretary for Anvil Products for 30 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Everall Palmer, who she married on August 3,...

Betty F. Buck, age 87, of Middlesex Twp., Valencia, passed away on Thursday, May 2, 2019 at LAS St. John Specialty Care Center in Mars. Born in New Kensington, PA on October 5, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Raymond and Blanche Westerman. Betty had worked as an LPN for St. John Specialty Care Center in Mars. She was a member of LifePointe Alliance Church. Surviving are a daughter, Linda Buck of Middlesex Twp., and many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was...

Richard B. Young, Jr., age 76, of Gibsonia, passed away on Monday, April 29, 2019 at Good Samaritan Hospice in Wexford. Born in Aliquippa, PA on February 15, 1943, he was the son of the late Richard and Elizabeth Criswell Young. Richard and his wife, Mary, along with his brother, Bill, founded Young’s American Rose Nursery in California. He had also been a sales representative for Easton Horticultural Resources in Ft. Wright, KY and Jackson & Perkins Nursery in Oregon. He was a...

Margaret A. “Peggy” Stofko, age 83, of Cranberry Twp., passed away on Friday afternoon, April 26, 2019 at the Grove of Harmony. Born in New Eagle, Washington County, PA on July 24, 1935, she was the daughter of the late William E. and Margaret Rummel Peart. A beloved wife, mother and grandmother, she was always proud of her career as a secretary. She was a member of St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church. Surviving are her husband, Donald R. Stofko, a daughter, Leslie Ferrari...

Michael Lee Kramer, age 25, of Mars, Adams Twp., passed away on Friday evening, April 26, 2019 at his home. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on January 26, 1994, he was the son of Rene Manna Kramer and the late Joseph Kramer. Mike was a package handler for Fed Ex in Zelienople. He enjoyed video games, war re-enactments, target shooting and history. Surviving are his mother, Rene Manna Kramer, a brother, Jared Kramer of Mars, his maternal grandparents, Samuel J. and Connie Fabrizi Manna, his...

Ronald D. Kennedy, age 85, of Pine Township and Melbourne, FL, formerly of Hampton Twp., passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, FL. Born in Mars, PA on January 7, 1934, he was the son of the late J. Dean and Daisy McCarrier Kennedy. Ron had earned a BS Degree from United States Military Academy at West Point as well as an MS, MBA, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a Director of Strategic Planning (Glass Division) at PPG...

Carol A. Huerbin, age 80, of Butler, formerly of Mars, passed away on Tuesday evening, April 23, 2019 at Sunnyview Home. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on August 14, 1938, she was the daughter of the late William and Grace Oswald Richter. A homemaker, Carol had been a member of St. Kilian Church and the Christian Mothers there. She also was a member of the Secular Franciscans of St. Michaels and the Deanery of Catholic Council Women. Surviving are four daughters, Margaret A. Huerbin of New...

James David Winkler, age 71, of Adams Twp., passed away on Monday afternoon, April 22, 2019 at his home. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on August 21, 1947, he was the son of the late David and Verna LaFever Winkler.Jim had worked at Lamperski’s Tree Farm. He served as a Green Beret in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Brother of Dianne Wolf of Butler and the late Sandra Winkler, uncle of Jason D. Wolf of Butler and Kimberly Wilson of Dansville, N.Y. and five great nieces and...

Bryan Thomas Scheller, age 34, of Valencia, passed unexpectedly on Sunday, April 21, 2019 at his home. Born on January 11, 1985, in McCandless Twp., PA, he was the son of Kathryn Dorsey Scheller and Thomas E. Scheller. Bryan graduated from Mars Area High School in 2003 and earned his bachelor’s degree from Robert Morris University in 2009. He worked as a senior analyst for GNC in Pittsburgh. He attended both Holy Sepulcher and St. Kilian Catholic Church. Surviving are his parents,...

Alice C. Boyle Hayes, age 71, of Virginia Beach, formerly of Valencia, passed away on Wednesday morning, April 17, 2019 at Princess Anne Hospital in Virginia Beach. Born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 18, 1947, she was the daughter of the late John E. and V. Patricia Dempsey Boyle. Alice had worked in retail sales at J.C. Penney in Kirwan Heights and Kohl’s in Cranberry. She was a member of St. Kilian Church and was a Past President of the Mars V.F.W. Ladies Auxiliary.  Alice...

Margaret Cervanyak, age 92, of Moon Twp., passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at Greentree Manor Care. Margaret enjoyed activities with her group home in Moon Twp.  She was the daughter of the late John and Margaret Derek Cervanyak. Sister of the late Anna May, Theresa, Dorothy “Dot”, and James and Robert.  Survived by nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Friends will be received at the McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Inc. 238 Crowe Ave. Mars, PA on...

James L. Dobson, Sr., age 88, of Middlesex Twp., formerly of Mars, passed away on Saturday morning, April 13, 2019 at his home. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA on September 14, 1930. He was a truck driver for J.B. Hunt in Arkansas and had served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Surviving are his daughter, Dianna Swartz (Bob), a son, James L. Dobson, Jr., grandchildren,  Candice Weaver (Michael) and James, and a great granddaughter, Sydney Weaver. Preceded in death...