Sunday, November 3, 2024

Schuylkill County Obituaries for November 3rd, 2024

                                                                                                                            

Skook News Obituaries: November 3rd, 2024

Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area. 

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Samuel Joseph Gentile, Jr.
, 91, of the Tower View Apartments, formerly of Lykens, passed away early Saturday morning, November 2, 2024.

Sam was born on Wednesday, December 7, 1932, in Lykens, a son of the late Samuel Sr. and Barbara Breit Gentile. He was retired from the Reiff & Nestor Company, Lykens, where he was a machinist for over 31 years. Sam was a member of Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Lykens.

Sam was a true sports enthusiast, whether it was baseball, football, or golfing. In his younger years, he played football for Harrisburg’s minor-league team and baseball for the City-Suburban League; since he didn’t own a car, he often hitchhiked the many miles to practices and games.

Sam’s legacy truly was his passion for baseball. He was well known in the Lykens Valley for coaching hundreds of athletes from Millersburg, Upper Dauphin Area, and Williams Valley school districts. He coached Little League, Teener League, and high-school boys and girls, as well as American Legion Baseball. If he wasn’t coaching, he was refereeing or working the chain crew for 25 years at the Upper Dauphin Area Trojans’ football games.

When not participating in live sports, Sam was cheering on his beloved football teams, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Philadelphia Eagles, and his favorite baseball teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cleveland Guardians. Sam took up golfing in his 50s and, true to form, he was a great competitor to anyone on the course. He thoroughly enjoyed this sport later in life and formed strong friendships over the years, playing regularly in a league at the Hidden Valley Golf Course.

Sam also displayed his competitive spirit when playing Euchre, one of his chosen pastimes. His wife, Joye, was his favorite Euchre partner, and they played many tournaments and hands with friends at the Lykens Firehouse. After she passed away, he continued his appetite for the game with friends and family any chance he got.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Joye M. Shutt Gentile, in 2006; a granddaughter, Angela Gentile Snyder; a son-in-law, Gregory Hoover; a brother, Eugene (Gino) Gentile; and a sister, Regina (Jean) Raudenbush.

Surviving are his six children: John Gentile of Selinsgrove, married to Wendy Talhelm Gentile; Debra Hoover of Mifflinburg; Samuel Gentile III of Elizabethville, married to Carmen Collier Gentile; Donna Gentile Wierzbowski of Middletown, married to William Wierzbowski; Anthony Gentile of Elizabethville, married to Stephanie Scheidler Gentile; and Diane Gentile Klimovsky of Mechanicsburg, married to Bob Klimovsky. He also has 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 1 step-great-grandchild.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, November 8, 2024, at 11:00 am from Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, Lykens, with Rev. Michael Opoki, AJ as celebrant. A luncheon and time of fellowship will immediately follow Mass in the church social hall. A viewing will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2024, from 6-8 pm at the Chapel of the Dimon Funeral Home, Inc., Tower City, and also on Friday, November 8th, from 10-11 am at the church. Sam will be laid to rest beside his wife in the Maple Grove Cemetery, Elizabethville, following the luncheon.

Memorial donations in his memory can be made to Our Lady Help of Christians Parish, 732 E. Main Street, Lykens, PA 17048.

The Dimon Funeral Home is honored to serve the Gentile family.

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Joseph F. Biltheiser
, 89 of Pottsville, died Saturday at Providence Place, Pottsville.

He was born May 25, 1935, in Pottsville a son of the late John W. and Gertrude Lynch Biltheiser

He was co-owner former John W. Biltheiser's Son's Electrical Contracting retiring in June of 1997

Joe was a member of St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville, and was a life member of Yorkville Hose Fire Company, Pottsville.

Throughout his life Joe enjoyed history, architecture and tinkering around.

He was preceded in death by his wife Anna P. Biltheiser, on October 24th; 2 brothers John G. and Philip Biltheiser; 3 sisters, Gertrude Barone, Ann Heckman and Mary E. Lubinsky

Surviving are nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated along with his wife Anna on Saturday at November 9th at 11AM from St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, Pottsville. Family and friends are invited to a viewing from 10AM until the time of mass. Interment will follow Calvary Cemetery, Pottsville. The family would prefer remembrances in the form of contributions in memory of Joe be made to St. Patrick Memorial Fund, 319 Mahantongo St. Pottsville, PA 17901. Arrangements are under the care of James E. Humphrey Funeral Home, Pottsville.

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Christopher S. Heckman
, 45 of St. Clair, died Thursday at St. Luke's University Hospital, Bethlehem.

He was born September 30, 1979 in Pottsville a son of the late David and Betty Scott Heckman.

Chris was a 1999 graduate of Pottsville Area High School and was employed by Hydro Extrusions, Cressona.

He was a member for St. Clair Wade United Methodist Church.

Chris also enjoyed drawing and collecting Transformers with his son Connor.

Surviving are his wife of 19 years Shawna Zimmerman Heckman; his 2 children, Connor and Paige Heckman of St. Clair; a sister Stacey Murphy-Kuhns, of Tower City; nieces and nephews.

Arrangements are under the care of James E. Humphrey Funeral Home.

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These obituaries are being brought to by Anthony Urban Law Offices. P.C.