Obituaries

Gloria Heckendorn, public school teacher and art club member, passed away on the morning of Tuesday, August 11. She was 92.

She was born Gloria Mae Iorfido in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, at her parents’ home in 1933. She grew up in Ambridge with six siblings and attended the Ambridge Area School District, graduating in the class of 1951. She attended Slippery Rock University and would eventually earn her bachelor’s degree in Health & Physical Education. While at college, she also met a former U.S. Navy sailor, Thomas Heckendorn. They wed shortly after her graduation from Slippery Rock in 1955.

Gloria was a public school teacher at Seneca Valley High School, teaching health and physical education for 27 years. Much of that time was spent teaching alongside Thomas, who taught mathematics and physical education, as well as being an Athletic Director for the high school. Gloria and Thomas had two daughters, Lisa and Lori, who would also attend Seneca Valley while they taught there.

Gloria was also a painter for much of her life, eventually becoming a stalwart member of the Ellwood City Art Club. She preferred oil painting, often reproducing photographs or other paintings, but also produced some original work and was fond of her portraits of her grandchildren. Her paintings were recognized and awarded in the annual art shows that the club held in the park, and she would eventually chair the shows as well.

Gloria’s other hobbies included art, travel, and gymnastics. She was a member of the Divine Grace Parish, Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in town and was also a member of the Blue Army of Our Lady of Fatima. She and Thomas lived in Ellwood City for 26 years, where they helped raise their grandchildren and grew old together. Last year, they celebrated their 70th anniversary, surrounded by family.

Gloria died in her sleep on a quiet morning in a quiet house, lying next to Thomas.

Gloria is preceded in death by her father, James Vincent Iorfido, and her mother, Fenice Marie (Cuda) Iorfido. She is also preceded in death by her siblings: Elizabeth (Tootsie), Beatrice (Bea), Albert (Al), Hugo Richard (Dick), Edward (Idy), and Virginia (Gina). She was the youngest of six siblings and the last to pass away.

Gloria is survived by her husband, Thomas Heckendorn, and her daughters, Lisa Ann Heckendorn-Blake and Lori Ann Maielli. She is also survived by her son-in-law, John Maielli, her grandchildren — Jonathan (Lisa), Matthew, Christopher (fiancée Alyssa), Tomas, and Annalise — and her great-grandchildren, Connor and Malia. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren knew her as Nuni. She was very loved.

The family would like to thank Gloria’s in-home nurse, Christina Greene, for helping her final months pass comfortably.

Visitation will be held on Friday from 4-7 pm and again on Saturday from 10:00 am until 10:30 am at the Samuel Teolis Funeral Home and Crematory Inc.. A mass of Christian burial will be held on Saturday at 11:00 am at Divine Grace Parish Holy Redeemer Church with Father Joe Freedy presiding. Burial will be at the Economy Cemetery.

Flowers may be sent to the Samuel Teolis Funeral Home in Ellwood City, and donations can be made to the St. Jude Foundation in her name.

Charles W. Kahne, aka “No Coat Charlie”, 79, of Ellport passed away on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 surrounded by his loving family at UPMC Jameson Hospital following a brief illness.

Born January 28, 1947 in Pittsburgh, he was the son of the late Elizabeth Moss Kahne.

Charles worked at Edro Steel and Quality Rolls for many years as a machinist until his retirement. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed traditional hunting with muzzleloaders and bow and arrows, as well as fishing. Music was an important part of his life, especially the Rolling Stones. He was a fan of the Steelers and Ohio State. Most of all, he cherished time spent with his family and adored his granddaughters.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 54 years, Debbie Jean Kahne; son, Shannon (Jeanine) Kahne of New Kensington; daughter, Ashley McAnallen of Ellwood City; two granddaughters, Mariah Baer and Charli McAnallen; brother, John Kahne of Middletown, OH, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his brother, Robert Kahne; sister, Elizabeth Puckett, and nephew, Jason Kahne.

Per his wishes, no services will be held.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Christopher Daniel Stunkard, 25, of New Galilee passed away unexpectedly on Monday, August 10, 2026 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.

Born February 19, 2001 in New Castle, he was the son of Daniel J. Stunkard of New Galilee and Tanya Reno Stunkard of Washington, PA.

Chris was a devoted caregiver for his grandmother, Katherine. He enjoyed playing video games, collecting squishmellows, and loved his dog Velma.

Survivors include his parents; brother, Isaiah Matthew Stunkard of New Castle; sister, Danni Lynn Stunkard of New Galilee; two grandmothers, Katherine Link of New Galilee and Lori Schoettker of New Castle.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers Bob Stunkard and Ronnie Reno, aunts, Misty McKim and Ashley McKim and his step-grandfather Norman Link.

Friends and family will be received on Friday August 14, 2026 from 2 until the funeral service at 4 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 341 Main Street Wampum. Retired Pastor Dave Keppen will officiate.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Kathleen Lois Yarzebinski Chill died at the age of 79 peacefully on August 9th, surrounded by her family. It was a beautiful sunny day.

As a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother – she was a wonderfully complex person. A sophisticated, artistic, stylish, and cosmopolitan woman who happily lived her life in the village of Chewton next to a farm. Kathleen was strong-willed and fair, always able to speak her mind with honesty. She devoted her life to her family, she loved us as much as anyone possibly could, always there, always listening, always with open arms. She will be missed.

Born August 14, 1946 in Ellwood City, she was the daughter of the late Valentine and Verna Mora Yarzebinski. She was married to Ronald A. Chill for 55 years when he passed away on August 6, 2021.

Survivors include her daughter, Julie Chill and her husband Keith Knight of Chewton; son, Michael and Marcia Chill and their sons Tyler and Cody of Plum.

Friends and family will be received on Thursday August 13, 2026 from 7 to 9 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 341 Main Street Wampum. A Blessing Service will be held at the Funeral Home on Friday August 14 at 10 am. Rev. Fr. James Wehner will officiate. Interment will follow in Holy Redeemer Cemetery. All are invited to attend.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Dorothy J. Sudano, 97, of Ellwood City passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, August 9, 2026 at her residence.

Born September 24, 1928 in Ellwood City, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Catherine Volrath Ferrese. She married Anthony Sudano on June 26, 1948. He preceded her in death on November 22, 2007.

Dorothy was a longtime member of Divine Grace Parish Ellwood City. She enjoyed crocheting, listening to music, and crossword puzzles. She also enjoyed baking and hosted a weekly tradition of having coffee and doughnuts for her family after Sunday Mass. A lover of ceramics, she crafted Nativity sets for each of her children and grandchildren. She was a devoted homemaker who cherished time with her family and was proud to have babysat two generations of her grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, Ronald (Sharon) and Bob (Debbie) Sudano both of Ellwood City; two daughters, Cheryl (Bob Kaib) Sudano of Beaver Falls and Sharon (Rick) McClintick of Ellwood City; 12 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; sister, JoAnne (Harry) Brandon-Monnich of New Brighton, and brother, Joseph (Gloria) Ferrese of Ellwood City.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her son Jim on January 16, 2020, brother, Bob Ferrese and sister, Thelma Figurel.

Friends and family will be received on Wednesday August 12, 2026 from 3 – 7 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 200 Fountain Ave. Ellwood City. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Divine Grace Parish Ellwood City on Thursday at 11 am. Rev. Fr. Joseph Freedy will officiate. Interment will follow in Holy Redeemer Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Richard Jacob Figurel, 77, of Chewton passed away Thursday, August 6, 2026, surrounded by his loving family at Heritage Valley – Beaver following a brief illness.

Born January 7, 1949 in Ellwood City, he was the son of the late Jacob Figurel. He married Karen Hairhoger on August 27, 1994.

Richard graduated from Lincoln High School in 1967 and later earned his bachelor’s degree in art education from YSU. Throughout his life he held many jobs, working as a paralegal, a Primerica broker, and the owner of several printing and computer businesses in Canada, New Castle, and Ellwood City.

He was a member of the former Queen of Heaven Parish in Wampum and Koppel where he sang in the choir and later attended Divine Grace Parish Ellwood City. He was active in the community, volunteering with Clean Ways, the Kitchen Cabinet Group, and many other local organizations. An outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing, camping, and gardening. A skilled self taught musician, he played the banjo, keyboards, guitar and other instruments. He cherished time spent with his family.

Survivors include his beloved wife of 31 years, Karen; two daughters, Darcy Figurel and Brenda Anderson Rossman; two sons, Steven Anderson and Mark Figurel; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister, Elaina (Bill) Lindner; four brothers, Curtis (Shar), Keith, Michael, and Jack Figurel; numerous nieces and nephews, and his special friends, Tom Mondell, Kevin Christie, and Donna Knopp.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his sister Kathy Timblin.

Visiting hours will be held on Friday August 14, 2026 from 3 until the going home celebration at 6 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 200 Fountain Ave. Ellwood City. Deacon Joe Ross will conduct the services.

Memorial Contributions may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Richard’s family would like to give a special thank you to Heritage Valley and the 2nd floor Nursing Staff for their kind and compassionate care.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Joyce R. Garcia, 74, of, Ellwood City passed away Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital following an extended illness.

Born March 7, 1952 in Beaver Falls, she was the daughter of the late Sylvester and Thelma Pifer Pelloni. She married Peter Garcia on December 22, 1978. Together they shared over 32 years of marriage until his passing on November 26, 2011.

Joyce graduated from Lincoln High School in 1970. She was a member of Park Gate Baptist Church and later attended the Victory Family Church in Zelienople. She found joy in sharing her faith in God. A devoted homemaker, she cherished time with her family and also enjoyed crossword puzzles.

Survivors include son, Angelo (Joanne) Garcia of North Sewickley Twp.; three sisters, Linda (Jerry) Kroll of Lynchburg, VA, Cindy Taylor of Burlington, NC, and Becky Marshall and her husband Tim of Ellwood city; two brothers, Robert of Mineral, VA and Richard Pelloni of New Brighton.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Jim Marshall and nephew, Bryan Kroll.

Friends and family will be received on Monday August 10, 2026 from 4 until the funeral service at 7 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 200 Fountain Ave. Ellwood City.  Interment will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com

Barbara Ann Hall, 65, of Tionesta, passed away peacefully on July 31, 2026, surrounded by her family at UPMC Hamot in Erie.

Born December 16, 1960, in Ellwood City to Lawrence and Etta Hall, she was a graduate of Riverside High School. She worked at a variety of places over the years, including the Young Adult Conservation Corps in the Quehanna Wild Area, Dambach Nursery and Camp Kon-o-Kwee in Fombell, and Cambio’s Bar in Koppel. She particularly enjoyed her final job as a driver for the Brookville Area School District. After ultimately moving to Tionesta, she became a vendor at the Leeper Flea Market and also ran the concession stand there for many years. She was a fixture there for 40 years and cherished the many friendships she made there over the decades.

She was known for her love of the outdoors, wildlife, and her pets. Her favorite place was Benezette where she enjoyed looking for elk.

Barbara is survived by her brother, James Hall (Jean) of New Galilee; her sister, Janet Phillippi (Charles) of Ellwood City, her sister-in-law, Sandy Hall of Ellwood City, four nieces and nephews, and one great-nephew.

Arrangements will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to your local humane society.

Rafaelle J. (Ralph) DiBello, age 88, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on August 1st, 2026.

Born on November 6th, 1937 in Castelforte, Latina, Italy he was the son of the late Gennaro and Olinda DiBello.

As a young man at the age of 23 and trained as a mechanic in Rome, he immigrated to the United States in 1960. After a few years, he purchased the property at 735 Lawrence Ave and became the owner of Ralph’s Super Service. Over the years, the gas station and minor repair shop became a staple on the main street of Ellwood City. There were many different oil company brands and signs that bannered the corner, including Quaker State, Sunoco and Texaco. Desiring to be independent, the station become known as Solo DiBello. During his nearly 50 years on the corner of Lawrence Avenue, the Solo DiBello sign has become one of the most recognizable signs in Ellwood City.

He enjoyed interacting with his customers, was always willing to fix a car problem and enjoyed giving kids a can of pop. He allowed his customers to run a gas tab each month and for those that paid in cash, he would always ask if he could ” keepa da change”.

Ralph enjoyed landscaping and could always be found on a Saturday or Sunday listening to Italian music and tinkering in his yard adding just one more statue, rock or more sea shells.

For many years, he was an avid wine maker and he enjoyed sharing his wine with many of his customers during the holidays. His homemade wine also won many awards at the annual Wolves Club competitions.

Ralph was one of 3 children. His oldest sister Elisa DiBello Cappelli (Luigi) preceded him in death in 2024 and his sister lda DiBello Mallozzi (Domenico) age, 86, currently resides in Rome.

Ralph was married to Antoinette DiBello. They were married in May 1960. She preceded him in death in May 2020.

He is survived by his 3 sons, Gennaro (Joni) of Presto PA, Joey of Marietta OH, and Mario (Shellie ) Center Township.

Ralph was very proud of his four grandchildren, Vanessa DiPietro (Nick), Elesa Ross (Kurt), Luc DiBello and Anthony DiBello.

Affably known as “Pup”, he also had one great-granddaughter, Rosina DiPietro who made him smile regularly and added a beautiful dimension with 4 generations of family together “a tavola”.

He is also survived by his companion and friend, Sondra Annarumo.

Our Family is so very grateful for the care, love and support provided by Eileen McKelvey for the 14 months and most recently Concordia of Bridgeville.

Pup – thanks for taking the risk to cross the ocean and start a new life! Quite a journey–may you rest in peace !!

Funeral services for Ralph will be private . Entombment will be in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery, Holy Redeemer Mausoleum. The Samuel Teolis Funeral Home is entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Memorial contributions can be made in Ralph’s name to: Divine Grace Parish Social Services, 300 Crescent Ave, Ellwood City, PA 16117.

Suzanne G. Krueger, 91-1/2 years young, of Chewton (Wayne Twp.) passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, August 2, 2026 at her residence.

Born January 11, 1935 in Chewton, she was the daughter of the late Gustave and Mabel Lechner Goebel. She married Charles J. Krueger on June 27, 1953. They were married for over 60 years when he passed away on May 13, 2014.

Over the years, Suzanne worked at many places in the area, including Penn Power in New Castle, as well as J.C. Penney, Thrift Drug, and the Hallmark stores in Ellwood City. She enjoyed gardening and canning her vegetables, and she also loved sewing and reading. She read over 100 books a year. Her most cherished moments were spent with her grandsons and great-grandchildren.

Survivors include two daughters, Pamela S. (John) Hupp of Chippewa and Lori A. Krueger of Wampum; three grandsons, Nathaniel (Jessica) Hupp of Darlington, Jeremy Hupp of Beaver Falls, and Sean (Lauren Rhodes) Hupp of Smithville, TN; eight great-grandchildren, Emma, Zachary, Evan, and Paige Hupp, Jude Pfister, Jeremy Kincade, Joseph and James Hupp; two sisters, Janice (Bill) Davis of Pulaski and Sally Fitzgerald of Monaca; brother, Charles (Mary Lou) Goebel of Wampum; sister-in-law Karen Goebel of Wampum, and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers, John and Thomas Goebel, sister Mary Elizabeth Hall, brother-in-law, Thomas Fitzgerald, and sister-in-law, Frances Goebel.

Visiting hours will be held on Monday August 10, 2026 from 5 to 8 pm at the Marshall Funeral Home, 341 Main Street Wampum. A celebration of life service will be held at 8 pm. Interment will be in Harmony Baptist Cemetery.

Online condolences may be sent to marshallsfh.com