CLARK – Bettyann, 86, formerly of Beaumont, died Monday, January 31, 2011, in the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
She was born in Wilkes-Barre and was a graduate of Luzerne High School. She was employed as a bookkeeper for Clark Insurance Agency and Montross Oil. She was a member of the Bowman’s Creek Lions Club.
Surviving are her son, Harry, Beaumont; four grandchildren; several great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations to the SPCA of Luzerne County, 524 E. Main St., Fox Hill, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.
CLARK – Elsie M., of Pennsylvania Avenue, Tunkhannock, died Friday, February 4, 2011, at home.
She was born in Clinton Township, Wyoming County, on August 25, 1925, and was employed by the Endicott Johnson Shoe Factory in Tunkhannock prior to her retirement. She was a member of the East Lemon United Methodist Church.
Surviving are a son, Donald, Tunkhannock; daughter, Carolyn Vest, Seattle, Wash.; six grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
GEIST – Edward J., Esquire, 73, of Shavertown, died Friday, February 4, 2011, after a brief illness.
He was born on April 7, 1937, was a graduate of Larksville High School, King’s College and Villanova Law School, where he received his Juris Doctorate in 1965. He was a member of The King’s Players, acting in, directing and designing a dozen stage projects.
A veteran of the Korean War, he served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. An active member of the Pennsylvania and Luzerne County Bar Associations, he was a partner in several Luzerne County firms, and later, was a sole practitioner. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme, Superior, Commonwealth and Luzerne County Courts, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
He served as an Assistant District Attorney for Luzerne County, a solicitor for Larksville, Forty Fort and Laflin boroughs and Larksville Sewer Authority. He was one of the founding members and several-term president of the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Association of Pennsylvania.
He served on the Board of Directors of the Health Systems Agency of Northeastern Pennsylvania and was a member and committee chairman for the United Way of Wyoming Valley. He was a chairman of the Wilkes-Barre City Republican Party. He was a lector at Saint Therese’s Church in Wilkes-Barre and, later, a member of Saint Therese’s Church in Shavertown.
Surviving are his wife, the former Josephine Balas; seven children, Valerie, of Tunkhannock; Mary Jo Owens, of, Springville; Edward, Stephen and Christine, all of Shavertown; Rudolph, of Bethesda, Md.; and Caroline Hahn, of Schnecksville; five grandchildren; a sister, Beverly Colarusso, of Pittston; nieces and nephews.
IDE – Donald L., 82, of Beaumont, died Wednesday, January 26, 2011, in Clearwater, Fla.
He was born in Kunkle and attended the Dallas Township schools. Before retiring, he was self-employed as a long-haul truck driver. He served with U.S. Army during World War II.
He was a member of the Kunkle United Methodist Church and a former member of the Back Mountain Enduro Riders.
Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Phyllis Kunkle Ide; brothers, Carl, Carverton; and Dale, Nanticoke; nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations to the Kunkle United Methodist Church or the Kunkle Fire and Ambulance Co.
JONES – J. Wendell, 89, of Shavertown, died Tuesday, February 1, 2011, at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
He was born August 10, 1921, in Wilkes-Barre, graduated from Kingston Township High School in 1939 and served as a U.S. Army Air Corps staff sergeant in the 573rd Bombardment Squadron during World War II.
He was a member of the IBEW Local Union No. 163, Wilkes-Barre, retiring from Brennan Electric, Edwardsville, in 1984. He was a member of the Daddow Isaac American Legion Post 672, Dallas, the Back Mountain Church Bowling League and the Tennesen Sportsman’s Club of Wyalusing.
Surviving are his wife, the former Phyllis Elston; sons, Wendell R., of Keelersburg; and Sheldon, of Dallas; daughters, Eleanor Yanalunas, of Dallas; Cindy Sutton, of Lehman; and Carolyn Trosky, of Shavertown; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations to the Huntsville Christian Church Memorial Fund, 1160 Church Rd., Dallas, PA 18612.
JUMPER – Richard A., of Scranton, formerly of Dallas and West Pittston, died unexpectedly Friday, February 4, 2011, at his home.
He was born on February 18, 1954, was a 1972 graduate of Wyoming Area High School, attended East Stroudsburg University and graduated from King’s College.
He was a coach and a volunteer for Back Mountain Little League and Dallas Youth Basketball. He served on the President’s Council at King’s College, Wilkes-Barre. He was a member of Corpus Christi Parish, West Pittston.
He was employed most of his life with Nabisco Foods and Parente Randolph. He was currently senior vice-president of Tri-State Business Brokers.
Surviving are his sons, Justin, New Hampshire; Brad, Mountain Top; and David, Kingston; brother, Joseph, West Pittston; three grandchildren; nephews and his former wife, Lynn Jumper.
McGUIRE – Caitlin Patricia, of Dallas, died Sunday, February 6, 2011, at age 24.
She was a 2005 graduate of Dallas High School and a 2009 graduate of Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania where she was a member of the Theta Tau Omega sorority. She was expected to graduate from Marywood University with her master’s degree in Educational Psychology in 2012.
Surviving are her mother, Anne M. Koes; her stepfather, Thomas, of Kingsley; her father, Kevin McGuire, of Wyoming; her sister, Maureen A. McGuire, of Baltimore, Md.; her step-sister, Amber Koes, of Mooresville, N.C.; aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org/donate, as she was passionate about her mother’s fight against breast cancer.
MIZENKO – Paul J., 56, of Dallas, died Sunday, January 30, 2011, at Hospice Care of the VNA, Wilkes-Barre.
He was born in Luzerne, attended the Sacred Heart School in Luzerne and graduated from West Side Central Catholic High School, Kingston, and King’s College. He was currently operations manager for Sonic Restaurants and previously worked for Denny’s Restaurants for 23 years.
He was a member of Fellowship Evangelical Free Church, Dallas, where he was an Elder.
Surviving are his children, Ann Lynn Smith, Copperas Cove, Texas; Marilyn Moriah, at home; and Paul W., Atlanta, Ga.; sister, Mary Mizenko, Luzerne; three grandchildren.
Memorial donations to the Fellowship Evangelical Free Church Benevolent Fund.
PHILLIPS – Richard W., 56, of Orange, died Thursday, February 3, 2011, at his home.
He was born in Kingston and was a graduate of West Side Technical High School, Pringle. He was employed as an excavator by Franchelli Enterprises, Plains Township.
He was a member of the Orange United Methodist Church and the Shindig Inn Dart League where he served as president.
Surviving are his companion, Phyllis Bird Zapoticky; brothers, Joseph E., Kunkletown; Paul T., Lincoln, Nebraska; and Todd M., Harrisburg; sister, Terri Ann Kelley, Dallas; and his dog, Mocha.
Memorial donations to the American Heart Association.
SAMUELS – Irene, 82, of Trucksville, died Thursday, February 3, 2011, at the Hospice Community Care Inpatient Unit at Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre.
She was born in Swoyersville and was a resident of Trucksville for the majority of her life. She was a member of St. Vladimir’s Ukranian Church, Kingston.
Surviving are her husband of 62 years, Roger A. Samuels; children, Jeannette Beck, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Roger J., Beaumont; Sandra Roach, Dallas; Gary, Cape Coral, Fla.; and Wendy Bolton, Dallas; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Andy Cheremsak, Kingston.