Obituaries

Ethel Mae (Koach) Sorcio, 94, of Wampum Avenue, Ellwood City passed away Monday, March 7, 2016 at St. Johns Care Center in Mars following a brief illness. Born Nov. 30, 1921 in Ellwood City, she was the daughter of the late Harold Paul and Ethel Mae Webster Koach. She was married to John J. Sorcio for 20 years who passed away in 1971. Ethel retired in 1989 from the United States Postal Service where she was the Data Supervisor in New York. She was a member of the Harmony Baptist Church in Ellwood City. Active in the community, Ethel volunteered…

George G. Laszlo, 94, of Ellwood City passed away on Sunday, March 6, 2016 in the Ellwood City Hospital. George was born on Oct. 12, 1921 in Sunbury, Pa. to the late Emery and Mary Nagy Laszlo, Sr. He is a member of the Lincoln High School class of 1940 and the Holy Redeemer Parish. George enlisted with the U.S. Army Air Force in 1942 and served with the 2115th Base Unit in Courtland, Ala. and with the 47th Bombardment Group as a pilot stationed in England with the rank of First Lieutenant. George was in the battles of Northern…

Arthur E. “Hook” Butler, 69, of State Avenue, Ellport, passed away on Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at Good Samaritan Hospice in Beaver. Born in Ellwood City on April 19, 1946, Arthur was the son of the late Raymond and Mary Kovach Butler. He married the former Patricia Aradi on Dec. 5, 1975. A 1964 graduate of Lincoln High School, Arthur retired from NALCO where he worked in maintenance for over thirty years. He was a Veteran of the US Army, serving during the Vietnam War. Arthur was a member of Park Gate Baptist Church. He was also a member of…

Dorothy M. (Sutkowski) Flecher, 88, of Ellwood City went home to be with the Lord on Monday, Feb. 29, 2016. She was surrounded by her loving family. Dorothy was born on July 22, 1927 in Ellwood City to the late Stanislaw and Caroline Pogozelec Sutkowski. She is a member of the Lincoln High School graduating class of 1945, the Holy Redeemer Parish and the Christian Mothers of the Holy Redeemer Parish. After high school graduation, Dorothy worked at the Tube Mill in Ellwood City for several years. Friends and family would describe Dorothy as a servant in the truest sense,…

Vesta Marie “Cindy” Best, 94, formerly of South Tower Road, Fombell, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family at Evergreen Nursing Center in Harmony on Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016. She was born on the family farm in North Sewickley on Sept. 1, 1921 to the late Samuel O. Swick and the late Edna Boswell Swick. She attended Beaver Falls High School, and was a longtime member of Lillyville Church of God. Vesta enjoyed crossword puzzles but most of all, her family. She was preceded in death by her husband of nearly 40 years, Harvey M. Best, on June 20, 1983….

Margaret M. “Marge” Santillo, 92, of Ellwood City passed away on Thursday, Feb. 25, 2016 in the Good Samaritan Hospice. Margaret was born on Oct. 29, 1923 in Girard, Ohio to the late Thomas and Concetta Vitacula Testa. She had graduated from the Girard High School with the class 1941. In her youth she had worked at the Five & Ten store in Girard. She later worked at Republic Steel, and then for General Electric for 10 years as an inspector. After moving to Ellwood City she worked at the Ellwood City Knitting Mill for 10 years. She is a…

Terry R. Hissem, 55, of Sechan Drive, Portersville, passed away unexpectedly in his residence on Monday, Feb. 22, 2016. Born in Greensburg on Nov. 28, 1960, Terry was the son of the late Robert and Della Laird Hissem. He was a 1979 graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City. Terry was a sports fanatic and he enjoyed bowling and golfing. Terry is survived by his fiancee, Monika Seegler, at home, a brother, Douglas Hissem and his fiancee, Mary Jo Weir, of Portersville, a niece, Sonya (Scott) Rau of Buckeye, Ariz., and a nephew, Schuyler Hissem of New Castle. Terry…

Bertha J. “Birdie” Hawrylak, 85, formerly of Ellwood City passed away on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016 in the Good Samaritan Hospice. Bertha was born on June 9, 1930 in Ellwood City to the late Alexander and Verna A. Onada Pavlin. She graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 1948. Birdie had worked at Loccisano’s Grocery Store as a cashier in her youth, and later as a secretary for several years. She had belonged to the St. Agatha Catholic Church Christian Mothers, and served on the St. Agatha Church Bazaar Committee for many years. Her main joy was being…