Obituaries

Karen L. Whitlatch, 82, of Fombell passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at home surrounded by family. She was the daughter of the late Edgar and Harriet (Nye) Waterfield and she was born on April 8, 1943 in Ellwood City. She was a 1961 graduate of Lincoln High School. She met and married James “Jim” Whitlatch, the love of her life, on May 15, 1964. She spent her career at various restaurants as a waitress. She loved shopping, going out to eat, spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren and hanging out with her “Goose Girls”. Her…

James Clayton Conner, 79, of New Castle passed away Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Quality Life Services following an extended illness. Born April 12, 1946, in New Castle, he was the son of the late Charles Clayton and Irene Forrest Conner. James attended Union High School and then worked at Lark Enterprises as a furniture refinisher. Protestant by faith, he loved everything “Godzilla” and watching Westerns. Survivors include sister, Cheryl (Robert) Hackett of Wampum; brother, Randy (Heather) Conner of Edinburg; many nieces and nephews, and his special friend and roommate, Randy Adams. Per his wishes, no services will be held….

Kevin Thomas Eckenrode, 58, of Butler, passed away at his residence on Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026. Born April 6, 1967, in Ellwood City, he was a son of the late Thomas L. Eckenrode and Judith L. Ketterer Eckenrode. He was a member of New Beginnings Free Methodist Church, Butler. He loved baseball and football, and he was an avid fan of both Penn State and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He enjoyed listening to music and taking care of his lawn and flowers. Most of all, he adored spending time with his grandchildren. Kevin is survived by his daughter, Kayla Wise; two…

Mrs. Kathleen Cogley, 87, of Franklin Township, passed away on February 16,2026, surrounded by love. Born on October 22nd,1938, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of the late Catherine (Schlegel) and Charles Gilligan. ln October 1956, she married the love of her life, Matthew W. Cogley $r., who preceded her in death, along with their youngest daughter, Chris Cogley. Kathleen worked for Verizon until her retirement and was a proud and passionate member of the CWA union. She was known for her strong work ethic, determination, and loyalty. She had a well-known love for trips to the casino and…

Mr. William John Schwartz, of Ellwood City passed away on Saturday, February 14th, 2026 at the age of 85. Bill peacefully went home to be with the Lord surrounded by his entire family by his side whom he loved dearly. His whole life revolved around the love of his life, his “Chick”. She was his rock, his partner, and his greatest blessing. Bill was an avid hunter. The woods were where he felt most at home. He loved hunting, but what mattered most to him was who he shared it with. Nothing made him prouder than watching his nephews, grandsons,…

Lois Snare Hoffman, 88, passed away at home the morning of Friday, February 13th 2026 after a 2 month illness. Lois was born in Ellwood City, 1937 to Gerald Snare and Mary Cathern (Wilson) Snare. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1955. While attending night classes at Geneva College she started dating, then married, in 1959, the love of her life, Raymond Hoffman who was also a member of Lincoln 1955 graduating class. She was an active member of The First United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women’s society of Ellwood City, serving on many boards and committees over…

Mr. Bruno D. “Toad” Suppa, age 93 of New Castle, formerly of Ellwood City, passed away on Thursday, February 12th, 2026 at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. Bruno was born on February 18th, 1932 in Ellwood City to the late Gregorio and Anna (Pileggi) Suppa. He had graduated from Lincoln High School with the class of 1950. A proud veteran, Bruno enlisted with the United States Army on September 5th, 1950 and served stateside during the Korean War as a radio communications officer, where he was proficient with Morse Code. He was honorably discharged on April 29th, 1952 with…

On the evening of February 11, 2026, Frank Joseph Losos III passed away peacefully with his son, David, by his side. He leaves behind a rich legacy of eleven grandchildren: nine through his only son, David Losos, (daughter in law, Andrea), of Portersville PA; Deanna, Darren, Damian, Adella, Dominic, Daniella, Desirae, Andrew, and Dustin. He also has two grandchildren, Zach and Reese, through his step-son, Ryan Madar (daughter in law, Jennifer) of Nashville TN. He is survived by his first wife, and David’s mother, Kathleen Losos of Pittsburgh PA, his sister Rose Marie (Jerome) Aschenbrener of Braidwood IL, his 3…

Pete Gamra, 76, of Aliquippa passed away on Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at his home. He was the son of the late Elias and Evelyn (David) Gamra and was born August 25, 1949 in Aliquippa. He was survived by his wife of 21 years; Fatiha Bounti, his daughter; Jayde Gamra of Aliquippa, and close friend; Sarah Millis of Aliquippa. Pete was born and raised in Aliquippa. He was employed as a skycap at Pittsburgh International Airport. He enjoyed working in his yard and keeping his grass cut and in pristine shape. He enjoyed his wives cooking, especially Arabic food. He…