Harry J. Paraska

Harry J. Paraska, age 77, of Mars, passed away on Thursday morning, March 7, 2019 at UPMC Passavant Hospital in McCandless Twp.

Born in Ancon (the Panama Canal Zone) on June 20, 1941, he was the son of the late Nicholas and Martha Lewis Paraska.

Harry was a Civil Engineer for P.D.M. in Pittsburgh and most recently worked for II-VI, Inc. in Saxonburg.

He was a member of the Gospel Fellowship Church in Middlesex Twp.. He was the Pennsylvania State Chaplain for the Gideons International and also belonged to the  Mars Kiwanis Club, where he was a past president and had held several other positions. Harry also was a member of the Mars History and Landmark Association. 

He had served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.

Surviving are his wife, Nora Anderson Paraska, who he married on July 10, 1965, his children, Nathan Paraska (Dana) of New Castle, Rebekah Bolze (Mark) of Carlisle, Deborah Wadding (Patrick) of Middlesex Twp., and Joanna Dray (Edward) of Uniontown, Ohio, his grandchildren, Rachel, James, Leah, Christopher, Sydney, Matthew, Jonathan, Sarah, David, Nora and Elijah, his great grandchildren, Wesley and William and his brothers, Nicholas Paraska (Jan) of Granger, IN and Robert Paraska of Lakewood, OH.

Friends will be received at the McDonald-Aeberli Funeral Home, Inc. 238 Crowe Ave. Mars, PA on Sunday from 5-8 PM. Services will be held on Monday at 10:30 AM at the Gospel Fellowship Church, 161 McFann Rd. Valencia, PA 16059 with Rev. Nick Protos, pastor, officiating. Burial with Military Honors will be in Mars Cemetery, Adams Twp., PA. The family requests in lieu of flowers that donations may be made to the Gideons International, in honor of Harry Paraska, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214. Directions and condolences are available at www.mcdonald-aeberli.com.