Obituaries

Jeffrey E. Schwartz, 60, of Ellwood City, passed away on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at Butler Health System. Born in Beaver Falls on September 28, 1961, Jeff was the son of Judith Hall Schwartz of Ellwood City and the late Kenneth O. Schwartz, Sr. An electrical engineer, Jeff worked at Ellwood Quality Steel in New Castle. He loved to ride his Harley, hunt, fish and spend time at camp. Jeff’s life revolved around his family, especially his children and grandchildren. In addition to his mother, Jeff is survived by his three children, Jason J. (Nicki) Schwartz, Leah (Pat Duncan) Schwartz…

Rita Mazzanti, 86, of Frisco, passed away on Saturday, October 2, 2021 at the home of her son, Ray in New Castle. Born on January 20, 1935 in New Castle, Rita was the daughter of the late Luigi and Virginia Pacella Nocera. She married Alfred “Fred” Mazzanti on July 18, 1955. Rita worked as a dietitian at both the Ellwood City Hospital and Hillview Manor. A member of Holy Redeemer Parish, Rita enjoyed attending Challenges and trips to the casino. She faithfully cooked dinner for her family every Sunday and she loved spending time with them, especially her grandchildren and…

Mrs. Vittoria Simeoni, 85, of Ellwood City, passed away peacefully on October 1st, 2021 at Jameson Hospital. Vittoria was born on May 28th, 1936 in Baia e Latina, Italy, to the late Stefano and Maria (Paglia) Perrotta. She was trained as a seamstress in Naples, Italy. Vittoria came to the United States on May 20th, 1970 to start a new life with her family. She worked at the Ellwood City Knitting Mill until its closing, and then for 22 years at Fotia Brothers, as a seamstress, until her retirement. In her retirement, she made clothing alterations privately from her home…

Mr. Francis W. “Colonel” Keller, Jr., 83, of Ellwood City passed away on Wednesday, September 29th, 2021 at the UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. Mr. Keller was born in Ellwood City on August 9th, 1938 to the late Francis W. “Fritz” and Ruth (Shafer) Keller, Sr. He had graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 1956 and later from Slippery Rock University where he earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Education. He then did his post-graduate work at Georgetown University and Clarkson Institute of Technology. He later received his Superintendent Certification from Westminster College. Mr. Keller started…

Dennis J. Tammaro, 68, of Cortland passed away Saturday evening, September 25, 2021. Dennis was born on October 16, 1952 in Ellwood City, PA, a son of Joseph and Angie (Scioti) Tammaro. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Ellwood City in 1970 and went on to earn a Bachelor’s in education from Youngstown State University. Dennis had an extensive teaching career as an elementary school educator. During the summer months, Dennis also worked as a painter. He retired from the Lordstown School District in 2011, after 35 dedicated years. Besides his passion for his career, Dennis was a sports…

Mrs. Katheryn “Kathy” L. (Curtis) Thalmann-Blank, 84, of Franklin Township, devout and faithful wife and mother, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family on Sunday, September 26th, 2021 at the Good Samaritan Hospice, Beaver. Kathy was born in Ellwood City on March 31st, 1937, daughter of Kenneth W. and Anna Mae (Malhowsky) Curtis. She was a devoted member of the Lincoln High School class of 1956 and served on the class reunion committee. She also graduated from St. Margaret’s School of Nursing in Pittsburgh in 1959 as a Registered Nurse. For several years, she worked at the…

JoAnne G. Montgomery, 80 of Ellwood City, passed away at Jameson Care Center on Sunday, September 26, 2021. Born in Castlewood, PA on September 27, 1940, JoAnne was the daughter of the late John Clifford and Jessie Geraldine Kiesling Johnston.  JoAnne was preceded in death by her first husband, Ralph “Ted” Hoffman and her second husband, John “Jack” Montgomery.  JoAnne worked for over 40 years at Freeman’s Buick & Pontiac and later when it became Legend.  She later was one of the original founders of Autosoft International in West Middlesex, where she worked for over 20 years. In JoAnne’s younger…

Mr. David M. DeCampli, 63, of Perry Township, passed away on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at the UPMC Shadyside Hospital following a long and courageous battle with cancer. David was born in Ellwood City on April 4, 1958 to the late Nick and Laureen (Klear) DeCampli. He had graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 1976. He is also a member of the Holy Redeemer Parish. For 40 years, David worked for John Brown Trucking as a terminal manager. Dave was a Harley Davidson Motorcycle enthusiast, enjoyed antiques, and a World War II history buff. Most of all,…