Skook News Obituaries: September 23, 2023
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
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Born in Shenandoah on September 8, 1950, he was a son of the late Walter & Martha (Staskiewicz) Lapatovich.
He was a 1968 graduate of the former Shenandoah High School.
Soon after graduation, and following in his older brother, Joseph's footsteps, he volunteered and proudly served God and his country in the Marine Corps from 1968 until 1972. He served a tour of duty in Vietnam where his brother was also stationed during the same time. During his service, Rick was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device, the Vietnam Service Medal with One Star and the Combat Action Ribbon. He was honorably discharged from the USMC as a corporal (E-4).
After his discharge, he was employed by the former Davison Furniture for thirteen years, Shenandoah. He then worked for the Penn Transfer Company in Hazleton for a number of years. He retired in November 2015 from SCI-Frackville as a corrections officer after a fifteen-year employment.
He was of the Catholic faith.
In Rick’s younger years, he loved to go hunting, camping, canoeing, and target shooting with his brother, Joe. He loved telling jokes and making people laugh. He enjoyed watching movies and was a big fan of Clint Eastwood. He loved Halloween and enjoyed telling his nieces and nephews scary Halloween stories around the campfire and they loved it too; they always referred to him as “Uncle Ricky Tiki”.
His brother, Joseph M. “Joe” Lapatovich passed away on September 16, 2023.
Surviving are his loving and devoted fiancée and caregiver, Joan Finlan of Shenandoah; two sisters, Marian Long and her husband George of Shenandoah and Judith Hjelm and her husband Bob of Harrisburg; one brother, Dr. Walter Lapatovich and his wife Penny of Harrisburg; his sister-in-law, Patricia Lapatovich of Shenandoah; and nieces and nephews.
Rick was an inspiration to us all. He was very much loved, and shall be greatly missed by his family and friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Richard and his brother, Joseph on Friday, September 29, 2023 at 10:00 am in Saint Casimir Church, 229 North Jardin Street, Shenandoah with Monsignor Ronald C. Bocian, Pastor as the celebrant. Interment with Marine Corps Military Honors will follow for both Rick and Joe in Our Lady of Dawn Cemetery, Shenandoah Heights. A visitation will be held at Walukiewicz-Oravitz Fell Funeral Home, 132 South Jardin Street, Shenandoah on Thursday from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm and on Friday morning from 8:00 am until 9:30 am.
Walukiewicz-Oravitz Fell Funeral Home, Shenandoah is in care of the arrangements.
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