Billie Ruth Laird Walsh, Ph.D., a long-time resident of Moon Township, died July 10 in Bedford Hills, NY of complications from Alzheimer’s.  She was born on July 22, 1928, to William and Nellie Ferguson Laird in Townley, Alabama.  In 1931 the family moved to suburban Boston.  In 1945 she graduated with honors from Jamaica Plain High School and travelled to Caracas, Venezuela by way of Camargue, Cuba to interview with the University of Merida under the sponsorship of the U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela.  While there the Venezuelan revolution occurred, and she and her mother were the first Americans evacuated from the country to arrive in Boston.  She returned to Venezuela multiple times over the years with Amilcar Segura, the founder of Radio Barquisimeto.

She then enrolled in the Berlitz School of Languages in New York City where she earned certificates in English and Spanish.  She began working for Monsanto Chemical Company, then took a job as secretary to the CEO of Paine, Webber, Jackson, and Curtis.  

She married William P. Walsh, Jr. in 1952.  

She went to Loyola College, Marietta College and the University of Pittsburgh where she earned her baccalaureate degree and PHD in education.

She taught at Robert Morris College, then worked as an assistant principal and principal of Moon Middle School and retired in 1995.  During the 1980s and early 90s she and her husband traveled all over the world and several times back again to Venezuela.

She moved from Moon Township to Bedford Hills, New York to live with her daughter, Dr. Janet L. Walsh, for the last 12 years.

She was a dedicated member of the Foreign Affairs Council and took a keen interest in foreign politics and governance.

She is survived by her daughter, Dr. Janet L. Walsh, and a son Steven Walsh, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Robert John MacFarlane passed away peacefully on May 25, 2024, in The Villages, FL, days shy of his 85th birthday. Rob was born in Delaware County, upstate New York. He attended Delaware Academy, where he met Marlene NcNaughton, the love of his life, and his devoted wife of 62 years. Rob was a three-sport letterman in high school and developed a passion for golf that remained with him for the rest of his life. He enrolled at Marietta College of Ohio, and served overseas in the army.  In 1974, Rob moved to Moon Township with his wife and three children, Tim, Dave and Tracy, who eventually all graduated from Moon High School. Rob joined Sharon Presbyterian Church. He coached Little League Baseball and youth basketball, and rarely missed a Moon High athletic event if one of his children were on the court, field, track, or in the pool. Rob had a long and successful career in corporate sales, which concluded four decades after it began, at Stone Container Company, in Pittsburgh.

Rob and Marlene moved to The Villages, FL, in 2001 and returned to their home in Moon for summers and Christmas. Besides golf, Rob enjoyed dancing, going to concerts, and traveling. Sunset Beach, NC, held a special place in Rob’s heart. It was there he would reconnect with his growing, joyful brood of grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Rob passed away following a long battle with prostate cancer and dementia. He leaves behind wife Marlene MacFarlane, three children (and their spouses), Timothy (Nancy) MacFarlane, and David MacFarlane, and Tracy (Jack) Crocker; seven grandchildren, Ashley (Greg) Lutz, Becca (Jason) Leonard, Lia Crocker, Brendan (Erica) MacFarlane, Nolan Crocker, Finlay and Camille MacFarlane, and six great grandchildren. 

A service and celebration of his life, for family and friends, will by held at 10:30 a.m., June 26, 2024 at North Lake Presbyterian Church, Lady Lake, FL. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation to your favorite charity. 

Gordon Whitney Jr. has died in Raleigh, N.C. at age 77. Although born in Mt. Pleasant, Pa., Gordon soon moved to Coraopolis when his father Reverend Gordon Whitney Sr. became Minister of the Coraopolis Baptist Church on State Avenue.

He played Little League baseball, and then basketball at Coraopolis Junior and Senior High School. In high school he was a member of Coach Vic Bianchi's highly successful teams. Gordon developed a love for electronics and went on to graduate from Carnegie Tech in Electrical Engineering.

He met his wife Betty in church and they married in Coraopolis in 1971. They lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he enjoyed a successful career in Aerospace Engineering, while as a hobby racing his Datsun at the Watkins Glen Speedway in New York. They enjoyed sailing, camping and tennis with their three daughters. Gordon coached his daughters' softball teams, taught Sunday School, was president of the local swim club, and spent annual vacations at Topsail Island, North Carolina.

In 2018 Gordon was diagnosed with Dementia, and in 2019 moved to Magnolia Glen, an independent living facility in Raleigh, N.C.

He is survived by daughter Mara Taranhike (husband Gladman) of Raleigh, NC; daughter Alison Whitney (husband Gerald) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; daughter Anna Whitney (Baltimore, Md.); brother John Whitney (Bronx, N.Y.); sister Martha Rowe (Raleigh, N.C.); three grandchildren Elliot, Tadiwa and Milo; five nieces; two nephews; three grand nieces; nine grand nephews; and one great grand niece. He was preceded in death by his parents Gordon Whitney Sr. and Marguerite Whitney; sister Margaret Mahood; and nephew J.D. Calhoun.

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 12th at 2 pm at Raleigh Memorial Park and Mitchell Funeral Home at 7501 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. Donations can be made to Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road SW Suite 205, Lilburn, Georgia; or to Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering.

Dorothy Jane Shiffler Eldenire passed away on Februsry 18 at her Georgia home.

She was the daughter of Harvey Ross Shiffler and Edis Jean McCann Shiffler, longtime Coraopolis residents. She was born on May 22, 1941 at Sewickley Valley Hospital.

Dorothy grew up in Coraopolis, graduating from Coraopolis High School. She went on to graduate from the Sewickley Hospital School of Nursing.

She married Charles William Eidenire in 1962. They had three sons : Bill, Charles and Lee.

She is survived by husband Bill Eidenire; sons William Sheldon, Charles Eric and Lee Arthur Eidenire; 10 grandchildren and 14 great grsndchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Americus, Georgia, on Februsry 24, 2024 at 3 pm.

The online guest book is at www.greghancockfuneralchapel.com.

Greg Hancock Funeral Chapel, 142 Southland Road, Americus, Ga., is in charge of arrangements.

Patricia B. Ziegler, 69, of Kiel has died at Abridge Care Cottages in Chilton, Wisconsin. She is the former Patricia Finucan, born on November 27, 1952 in Pennsylvania, daughter of the late Bernard & Bertha (Kraus) Finucan. She grew up in Coraopolis and Neville Island. On July 13, 1974 she married Charles Ziegler in Hugo, MN. Patricia worked most of her life as a teacher aide and recently moved back to Wisconsin from Greer, SC.

Survivors include her husband; Chuck, children Jessica (Andrew) Harper and Michael (Jennifer) Ziegler, brothers Bernie (Karen) and Mike, sisters Wilma, Carol (Jory), Linda and Barbara.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Tim and sister Joey

Private family services will be held. Online condolences are at www.meiselwitzfh.com

Patricia's family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Abridge Care Cottages and Calumet County Hospice for the compassionate care they gave to Patricia.

Mary Louise Cox White, formerly of Moon Township, has died in La Mesa, California.

Although she was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana and graduated from Fort Wayne Central High School, Mrs. White resided for 40 years in Moon Township while working as an accountant, purchasing agent and office manager for Steel Built Buildings in Pittsburgh. She was a member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church, where Pastor Hower officiated at the weddings of her son Jason and wife Kathy in 1993 and her daughter Laura and husband Bradley in 1998.

After retiring from Steel Built, Mary embarked on a second career as a volunteer for the American Red Cross. She served around the world, and in nine disaster relief operations following floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes. She was named Volunteer of the Year in 2014.

Mary was the daughter of Opal Louise and Weldon Cox. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers J.R. and Ralph, sister Marilyn and ex husband Gary Cook. She leaves behind husband Kenneth White, brothers Earl and Paul, sister Shirley, four children (Tate, Jason, Laura and stepson David), plus seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 19 at 10 a.m. at the St. Michael Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Mary’s name could be made to the American Red Cross.

Charles David Dobson, 93, passed away peacefully from complications of prostate cancer on August 31, 2022 with family by his side.  He had lived in several states due to his career but spent the longest time and raised his children in Moon Township while employed by Dravo Corporation.

Born on July 23rd, 1929, in Tuscola, Ill, Chuck was the son of Charles Raymond Dobson and Jennie Morey Dobson.     He went to Arcola High School, graduating as valedictorian in 1947.

 Chuck graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in Mining Engineering and entered a U.S. Air Force meteorology program at MIT. It was there that he met Elizabeth Stoughton, who was in nursing school at Massachusetts General.  They married in September of 1953 and spent the next 67 years together until Betty passed in February of 2020.  They leave four children, David Charles (Ceil), Julie Ann (Chet Thaker), Kathleen Lynn Ix (Jeff) and John Carroll (Kathy); twelve grandchildren - Megan (Brock), Whitney, Logan (Emily), Katelyn, Zachary, Leigh (Dylan), MaryAnne, Lindsey, Julie (John), Mackenzie, Elliot, and Claire, and one and a half great grandchildren (Brock Jr, and soon to be Vernon!). He is also survived by Betty’s brother and sisters, John Stoughton (Sally), Lucy Schoff, and Mary Newey (Don).

 Chuck served as a First Lieutenant in the Air Force from 1951-1955, then returned to the University of Illinois in 1955 to complete a master’s in engineering and begin a long career in construction engineering for Dravo Corporation, based mostly in Pittsburgh.

Once retired, Chuck and Betty moved to New Hampshire full time, then to Potomac, Maryland.  

A visiting hour will be held Monday morning, September 12th, from 9:30 – 10:30AM at the Bailey Funeral Home, 210 Main Street, Lancaster, New Hampshire.  A procession will follow to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Lancaster, for a funeral service at 10:30AM.  Reverend Timothy Brooks, pastor, will officiate.  Burial will follow in Summer Street Cemetery, Lancaster. A reception will be announced.

Julianna Bereza Frahlman, 79, has died in Texas. Born March 5, 1943, she grew up on Neville Island as the eldest of three daughters born to Julia Sapsara and William Bereza. She and her sisters (Elaine and Laurie) lost their father in a traffic accident in 1962 when Julianna was only 18.

Julianna married David Felak in 1966 and together had three daughters: Lisa, Donna, and Rhonda. Julianna was fortunate to stay at home to raise their girls. She spent most of her adult life living in Texas, primarily in Kingwood and then most recently in Austin, where she moved to be near her grandchildren. Julianna treasured her family’s European heritage and made sure to pass along her family’s traditions of decorating beautifully intricate psanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), baking paska (a sweet Easter bread) and cooking homemade pierogies and halupkis. She made sure her daughters occasionally attended mass at a Byzantine Catholic church, similar to the one she attended while growing up on Neville Island. Julianna’s interests included ice skating, twirling as a majorette, cake decorating, sewing, golfing, square dancing, clogging, reading newspapers/magazines, cooking and trying new recipes, and floral arranging.

In 1988, Julianna married Warren Frahlman, who had three adult children of his own. They spent almost 30 years together until he passed away in 2018. Together, they enjoyed their 6 children and 15 grandchildren.
Since Julianna devoted her early years to raising her daughters, she didn’t really begin her career until later in life. Upon high school graduation in 1961, Julianna attended Waynesburg College and Grace Martin Business School, and worked for Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company, which was constructing the St. Louis Gateway Arch during the time she was employed. While living in Kingwood, she worked for Administaff (now Insperity) but spent most of her career with Humble ISD preparing documents. She retired in 2008.

Julianna is survived by daughters Donna Felak Egenolf, Rhonda Felak Hissey, and Lisa Felak Landry, her grandchildren, and her sister Laurie Bereza McCullough Purcell. She was preceded in death by spouse Warren Frahlman, and sister Elaine Bereza. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a Ukrainian refugee relief charity or to TexSAR (Texas Search and Rescue) who has been instrumental in the nationwide search for her grandson who has been missing since December 13, 2020.

Louis Jampetro, Sr., 82, has died at his home in New Jersey. Born in Sewickley, PA, on December 29, 1938, to the late Anna and Samuel R. Jampetro, Sr., Louis grew up in Coraopolis and graduated from Coraopolis High School.

He served in the US Navy for four years, and 21 years in the US Air Force, retiring as a Master Sergeant in 1979. He was awarded a bronze star in Vietnam. After retirement, he worked for the Department of Defense as an electronics supervisor at Fort Dix, retiring in 2004. 

Louis was an avid Steelers fan, loved to travel, and enjoyed country line dancing. Louis was a parishioner of St. Ann’s Church in Browns Mills, NJ, where he served as an usher. He was also on the board of directors at McGuire Federal Credit Union.  

He was predeceased by his son, Louis “Buddy” Jampetro; his grandson, Corey Jampetro; and his brother, Samuel R. Jampetro, Jr. 

Louis is survived by his loving wife of 61years, Janet L. Jampetro; his children, Kenneth Jampetro of Florida, Lori Burke (Denver) of Hamilton, NJ; and Jill Jampetro of Browns Mills, NJ; his grandchildren, Staci Mendez (Nick) of Staten Island, NY, Ross Jampetro (Demea) of Browns Mills, Victoria Jampetro-Parler (Devan) of Browns Mills, Brandon Atkinson of Browns Mills, Brian Atkinson (Brittney) of Browns Mills, Joshua Reed (Taylor) of Egg Harbor City, NJ, David Jampetro of Florida, and Danielle Jampetro of Florida; 17 great-grandchildren; his brother John (Jan) Jampetro of Pennsylvania; his sisters, Nancy (Douglas) Turner and Sandy (Dave) Searfoss both of Pennsylvania; and his brother-in-law, Lee (Patti) Kunkle of Pennsylvania. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in Louis’ memory may be made to St. Ann’s Church. 

Condolences may be left at www.moorefuneralhome.com.

John James Peterman, 69, of Aliquippa, passed away on September 29. He was the son of John James Peterman, Sr., and Margaret Anna Peterman, and was born in Sewickey on March 15, 1952.

Peterman graduated from Coraopolis High School in 1970. He was a four year letterman in football and baseball and received awards in both sports.

As far as anyone can document he was the first four year letterman in those two sports in Coraopolis High School history. Of course, prior to the 1960s, local students attended Coraopolis Junior High School in grades 7-8-9 and had their own teams. Boys were not eligible for high school teams until the 10th grade.

As the mills closed and the town lost population, enrollment declined in the schools and Cory dropped from Class A to Class B in sports. With far fewer boys to pick from, coaches invited freshmen to try out to fill out the roster. Peterman took advantage of the opportunity and performed well in both sports all four years he was in high school.

After high school, he found employment as a truck driver.

He is survived by sister Mary (Stanley) Yaworksi, brothers George, Ed and Charles, various nieces and nephews, and great nephews and nieces.

Viewing will be held Thursday, October 7th, at 2 pm at Copeland's in Coraopolis, with the service at 3 pm. A reception will be held at a later date.

Jared Reinacker, a pilot for Southern Airways Express, has died. He lived in Coraopolis with his fiance, Sandra.

Mr. Reinacker was born in Indiana November 11, 1977 and graduated from Brown County High School in June 1996.

He is survived by parents Paula and George Reinacker; sisters Valerie, who still lives in Indiana, and Tara, who lives in Florida; and by sons Gus and Charles, who live in Indiana.

Jared enjoyed flying planes, listening to music, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Vic Bianchi, who led Coraopolis high School to its greatest decade, has died of Cancer at age 94.

Bianchi played football, basketball and baseball at Leetsdale High School and after four years in the Army went on to play football at Westminster College. His first coaching and teaching job was at Conneaut Valley HS. He came to Coraopolis as a junior high coach for three years, then moved up to the high school in 1962. Both Herbert Snell and Fred Milanovich had coached successful teams that won section championships and did well in the postseason. But Bianchi's full court pressing, fast breaking style lifted the school to a whole new level. He also insisted his players wear dress shirts, ties and blazers to away games. He went 93-31 in five seasons, winning WPIAL titles in 1964 and 1965 and losing to Braddock in the finals in 1966. Bianchi was also an outstanding Math, Geometry and Algebra teacher, who was especially good at explaining the subjects to students who were having difficulty. He was named Teacher of the Year at three different schools. Ironically, it was a dispute over teaching that led Bianchi to leave Cory. Coaches at other schools were assigned a lighter load of three or four classes. Bianchi was teaching a full load of five classes a day. Having done so well as a coach, he wanted to teach fewer classes. When the administration refused, he resigned and coached at Quigley for a year before taking over at Ambridge. After two seasons, he had Ambridge back in the WPIAL finals, and continued to do well. His last trip to the finals was in 1984.

Bianchi (in the white pullover in photo at right, with Moon Township grad and current Kentucky Coach John Calipari) was intense and demanded intensity from his players. His former players, several of whom also became successful coaches, staged a reunion with him this past July. He is survived by his wife, five children and seven grandchildren. There will be no public viewing. He will be buried at St. James Cemetery Monday at 2 pm.

Virginia Braun Dickson, 102, died July 16, 2021 in her Winchester, Virginia, home, where she had resided since 1950. Mrs. Dickson was born June 9, 1919. Her parents, Edward A. Braun and Bertha E. Braun, raised her on Montour Street in Coraopolis. She married the late Wilson C. Dickson, Jr. on June 22, 1940 and they celebrated 61 years together. Mrs. Dickson is survived by her children: Carol D. Harn, Edward B. Dickson, David G. Dickson (Lloyd), Mary E. Dickson, Ann D. Brobeck and James W. Dickson. She enjoyed her six grandchildren: Scott N. Harn, Brett E. Harn (Nanette), Tyler C. Dickson (Delphine), Amanda D. Siddon (John), Elizabeth C. Brobeck and William D. Brobeck as well as her three great-grandchildren: Abigail C. Siddon, Lily J. Siddon and Esmée H. Dalquié-Dickson.

Mrs. Dickson graduated from Coraopolis H.S. and continued her education at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh, PA. She then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she studied music. It is through music that she met her future husband as she accompanied him on the piano while he sang solos in church. She also played the organ for the Coraopolis United Methodist Church. As the years passed, the couple lived in Coraopolis; Norristown, PA; Hanover, PA and Winchester, VA.

In addition to raising her six children over four decades, she found time for crossword puzzles, bridge, the Winchester Hospital Women’s Auxiliary and the First Presbyterian Church where in her earlier years she played the organ and piano when requested. She was an ardent sports fan, faithfully following Penn State and Washington football, baseball and hockey. As a girl she was an avid tennis player.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 pm at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel in Winchester on Friday, July 23. A family graveside service will be held at the Coraopolis Cemetery Saturday, July 24, at 1 pm. with interment beside her deceased husband, Wilson C. Dickson, Jr. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made in her memory to Northwestern Community Services, Administrative Offices, 209 West Criser Road, Suite 300, Front Royal, VA 22630 or a favorite charity.

On June 2, 2020, Elaine Bereza (Glover), formerly of Neville Island, PA, died peacefully in her sleep from pancreatic cancer. She was the daughter of William and Julia Bereza (Druga), formerly of Fourth Street.  She will be missed by her 2 sisters, Julianna (Bereza) Frahlman, Austin, TX, and Laurie (Bereza) Purcell, Los Alamitos, CA, and her 7 nieces and nephew and their 19 children.

Elaine graduated from Neville High School in 1965. She was the head majorette there for 2 years. After high school, she worked locally until she was employed by United Airlines as a flight attendant in 1969. She moved to Chicago and then San Francisco.

She became an officer and grievance chairperson for the Association of Flight Attendants. She had a golden retriever, Bentley, who became her constant companion. She was also a licensed massage therapist. She purchased a house in Pleasanton CA and flew mostly to and from the Hawaiian Islands. She retired in 2003.

Elaine married William Allen “Al” Glover, an attorney, in 2006. They moved to Long Beach CA, to be closer to Laurie and to help care for her mom, Julia, who passed in 2010. Elaine helped Al while he endured dialysis and waited for a kidney. Then she developed pancreatic cancer and it was his turn to care for her.

One of the greatest sports stars in Coraopolis history, Nick Spinelli, was killed in a car wreck Monday night in Florida.

Spinelli was a three sport star at the old Coraopolis High School from 1957 - 1960. He led the Blue Devils to undefeated seasons and championships in football and basketball and was a star on runnerup teams in baseball. He was named All WPIAL and All State. He was recruited by almost every Big Ten, SEC, ACC and major independent team, and signed with Miami of Florida. There, he played five positions and made All American. He joined the Boston Patriots, where he had an outstanding career and was named All Pro before being sidelined by an ACL injury.

The police report describes the accident as happening at 11:30 pm Monday night just west of Boca Raton, where Spinelli had retired to and had lived for years. He had been driving a 2020 GMC Terrain, heading north. Lucas Oliveira of Deerfield Beach was driving a 2006 Isuzu NPR truck west. He ran a stop sign and struck Spinelli's vehicle from the side. Both were rushed to DelRay Medical Center in critical condition. Spinelli died from his injuries Tuesday morning. Oliveira remains in critical condition.

Spinelli was born and raised in Coraopolis. His father ran Spinelli's Market on State Avenue, and the family lived on Maple Street just above Vance Avenue.

Nick first emerged as a star in Little League, and many fans always thought baseball was his best sport. He was an All Star catcher at every level from Little League through Pony League to high school, but it was as a hitter that he achieved most of his recognition. He consistently hit balls over fences all over western Pennsylvania and would almost never strike out. He led the WPIAL in home runs his junior and senior years and received offers from several major league teams.

But in junior high he became a dominant football and basketball player. Nick was a high energy, aggressive character who loved to joke and tease, had little tolerance for sitting still, was always pushing the envelope, and was rarely quiet. But on a football field he was a rare and special talent.

He had speed, quickness, great hands and feet, strength, and seemingly inexhaustible stamina. He had an inner gyroscope, a sense of body balance, that made him extremely difficult to bring down; halfway to the ground he would somehow regain his balance, struggle loose and keep running. If he could get just a few fingers on a pass he could bring it in; opposing coaches marvelled constsntly at how he seemed to have glue on his hands.

Rip Engle of Penn State considered him "the finest broken field runner I've ever seen in high school."

As the season progressed, the area around the Cory press box filled with college scouts. Many of them were here to see other players, since Coraopolis was loaded that year, but at least half of them were there to see Nick. Coach Fred Milanovich's log book at the end of the year showed visits by Ohio State, Syracuse, West Virginia, Pitt, Maryland, Michigan, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Alabama and two dozen others, but in the end Nick signed with Miami.

In addition to his physical skills, he had a certain intensity about him; he hated losing and was determined that in his senior year of high school, he would not allow it. Nick not only had quicker physical reactions. He had quicker instincts; he just saw and thought quicker. Several times a game he would be completely surrounded by opposing tacklers, two or three of which already had hands on him, only to spin, dart and twist loose and escape for long runs.

As a basketball player, long before the three point rule, Spinelli could reliably sink shots from 20 feet, but if the defense came out to guard him, he had an explosive first step and could fake the shot and drive around them for layups or close in jump shots. Coraopolis back then competed in the old Class A Section 9, which included North Allegheny, Shaler, North Hills, Quaker Valley, Moon, McKees Rocks and Stowe. In December they played Midland, Aliquippa, Swissvale, Hopewell, West Allegheny, Montour and a holiday tournament. Against this level of competition, Spinelli led his team to a 21-1 regular season as a junior and they lost an 81-80 decision to Dormont in the tournament. As a senior, Coraopolis again won its section. In a crucial tournament game with Avonworth, Spinelli was given the job of guarding 6-6 All Stater David Sauer. Despite his 5-11 size, he shut Sauer down, kept him boxed off the boards, and eliminated Avonworth, preventing them from repeating as WPIAL champions.

After leaving Coraopolis, Spinelli played five positions at Miami, starring at all five. He played on the kickoff return unit, the punt return unit, as a running back, a wide receiver and a defensive back. He was named All American in 1962 and 1963.

Back then, college freshmen were ineligible for varsity competition. They played three game freshman team schedules. So Spinelli's first varsity season was in 1961. He became more and more important to Miami as the season wore on, climaxing it with a punt runback for a touchdown that won the Liberty Bowl over Syracuse. Back then, Syracuse was a national power and the Liberty Bowl was much bigger than it is now. Spinelli is beloved by Miami fans because he was part of the team, led by quarterback George Mira, that led the Hurricanes to national prominence and established it as a powerhouse. Spinelli became Mira's favorite passing target, but if defenses were keying on Mira, Nick could also drop into the backfield and, as a running back, could take the pressure off the quarterback.

He harbored no nostalgic feelings for Coraopolis. Once he left for Miami, he adopted Southern Florida as his home and even while playing for Boston he returned to the Miami area during the off season. He only returned to Coraopolis once, for his mother's funeral. His classmates were never able to convince him to return to their class reunions.

But that did not diminish the appreciation local fans held for him. He is considered one of the three greatest players in Coraopolis history, the other two being Serafino "Foge" Fazio and Frank Letteri. All three have now died.

Richard Fording Hammil, born and raised in Robinson Township and a 1957 graduate of Montour High School, has died at his home in Painesville, Ohio.

After graduation from Montour, Hammil earned a B.A. and M.A. from Morehead State University, then served in the U.S. Army, where he was a member of the Army Band.

Returning to civilian life, he became a music teacher and band director in the Mentor (Ohio) Public Schools for 30 years. He also served as a Past Master in the Masonic Temple Lodge for three terms, where he was a member of the York Rite and Scottish Rite.

He is survived by children Charles Hammil of Akron, Sherri Hammil (Doug Prince) of Thompson, and Eric Hammil of Painesville. There are also grandchildren Hunter Hammil, Monica Hammil, Katelyn Smith, Michael Prince, Charlie Prince, Justin Hammil and Paige Hammil. He also has a brother Dan Hammil of Hanover, Md.

Visitation was Wednesday, October 2, at Johnson Funeral Home, 368 Mentor Ave., Painesville, Ohio 44077.  A Masonic Service was held at 7:00 PM followed by the funeral service.  Burial was Thursday at 12:30 PM at Smithfield Cemetery in Pittsburgh, PA with military honors.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Ohio Masonic Home Foundation, 2655 W. National Rd., Springfield, OH 45504.

Online condolences at www.johnsonfuneralservices.net

Martha Helm Barr has passed away at age 95.

Born December 3, 1924 to Walter and Ann (Burns) Helm in Sewickley, Martha was the 5th of six children. She married Paul Barr and had one daughter, Martha Ann Shade.

She worked as a fund raising coordinator for Ketchum, Inc. In 2018 she had moved to Akron to be closer to her daughter and grand daughter.

Martha was an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, rarely missing a game on TV and usually enjoying a Rolling Rock beer while watching it. She was well known for her deep laugh.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents Walter and Anne Helm; her husband Paul Barr; her brothers John "Jack" Helm, Jim Helm, and Sonny Helm; and her sisters Mary Louise Heffron and Geraldine Ann Young. She is survived by daughter Martha Ann Shade, grand daughter Kellyann (Robert) Callahan, and great grand daughter Jordan McKenzie Callahan, all of Akron, Ohio.

There will be no public visitation but will be a private ceremony at Billow Funeral Home (Akron) with final interment at Coraopolis Cemetery. In her memory, donations are auggested to the Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts Band (1055 East Ave., Akron, Ohio 44307), with whom Martha greatly enjoyed watching her great granddaughter perform.

Her family expresses its deep appreciation to Akron General Hospital, Brookdale Montrose, Brookdale Hospice, and Home Instead Senior Care.

Isabel Berardi, a Coraopolis entrepreneur for much of the 20th Century, has died at age 91.

Mrs. Berardi and her husband, Rico, opened Berardi's Restaurant on 4th Avenue and ran it for 41 years. The restaurant was a favorite of Rockwell International Steel executives. But it was also popular with locals, who dropped by on the way home from work, after a big football or basketball game, a movie, school board meeting or borough council meeting. It was Isabel's cooking that drew them. She made everything from scratch in the kitchen : noodles, soups, meats, sauces, salads, breads and desserts. Berardi's sponsored a baseball team in the old Pittsburgh Area League, winning several championships. Games against Standard Steel, Dravo, Forgings, Shenango and Blaw Knox drew crowds, but the games against arch rival Segneri's would be standing room only. Isabel always left early to prepare the post game meals back at the restaurant.

However, Isabel had a full life before and after the restaurant. She was born September 26, 1926 in Martins Ferry, O., to John and Mary Hodor, who had eight children. She worked at Continental Can Company in Martins Ferry. When World War II broke out, she came to Pittsurgh to become a bomb ring dipper at Ackerman's. They were impressed with her work and sent her to Dravo, as a First Class welder on the LST-750 landing craft used to land soldiers on the Normandy beaches. After the war, she and Rico honeymooned at the Pittsburgher Hotel, and she saw a job listing. She applied and worked there until she and Rico decided to go into business for themselves.

Isabel and Rico did not start out in the restaurant business. First, they opened a gas station, and then added two more. After seven years, they sold the stations to launch the restaurant on 4th Avenue. While busy with these businesses, Isabel also raised three daughters and a son. 

Isabel developed into quite an enterpreneur. After the restaurant had become a success, she invested in wig shops, real estate and Florida rental condos. She and Rico would use a condo for vacations, where Isabel would invite relatives down and cook for them. Long after she and Rico closed Berardi's, she continued to take great pride in her cooking. 

She developed an early interest in music while singing in the choir at her Catholic church in Martins Ferry, and that led to an interest in opera. She was a devoted fan of Luciano Pavarotti, who was both a singer and painter.

She treasured a painting the famous tenor had signed. It hung in her living room and, finally, in her room at the nursing home. 

Isabel was preceded in death by siblings Alishia Berardi, Mary Vetanze, Francis Groza, Nancy Smith, and Charles, William and Paul Hodor. She was the mother of Joyce Krane and Anita, Cheryl and Edward Berardi. She was the grandmother of Ryan Krane, Michael, Mark and Aaron Bodrog, Austin Manuel and Courtney and Dominic Berardi. She was the great grandmother of Isabella Krane and the sister in law of Elsie Hodor. She also had a sister, Dorothy DeFede, who survives her. 

Visitation will be Sunday 2-5 pm, Copeland's, 981 Brodhead Road, Moon Township. A Blessing Service will be held Monday at noon. Burial will follow in Resurrection Cemetery

Eric Matthew Diana, a graduate of Moon High School who had moved to South Carolina, has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at age 39.

He was born in Wisconsin but soon moved to Moon Township with his parents. While a student there, Eric played tuba in the band, was a disc jockey, and worked at Wendy's. He attended Lock Haven, the College of Charleston, South Carolina and Trident Tech. Eventually he became a home builder and procurement director in Charleston, accounting for 650 homes in the Coastal Carolina area. His hobbies included four wheeling, camping, collecting guns and flashlights, doing home repairs and building Lego modelling projects with his son Matthew.

He is survived by his wife of 17 years, Cristhiane, seven year old son Matthew, his parents Andrew and Diana, sisters Rachel (Cate) of Blacksburg Va. and Allison (Tuten) of Moore SC, grandparents Genevie Diana and Dorothy Kabel, nephews Jacob and Nathaniel, and niece Lily Anne.

A memorial service will be held at the Coraopolis Presbyterian Church, 1201 Coraopolis, at 3:00 pm Sunday, January 15, followed by a reception in the Social Hall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Hospice of Charleston Foundation, 676 Wando Park Boulevard, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464 or the American Cancer Society, 5900 Core Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406. Expressions of sympathy may be viewed or submitted to www.mcalister-smith.com or www.post-gazette.com/gb.

Longtime Coraopolis and Moon Township resident Flo Lemley has died at age 100 in South Bend, Indiana.

Flo was born June 23, 1916 in Dyersburg, Tennessee, to Sydney and Fannie Hendren. She married Ed Lemley on September 1, 1944 and moved to Coraopolis, where they lived on Montour Street for 16 years before moving to Moon Township. Ed worked with Standard Steel Spring Company, which was bought out by Rockwell Steel. When Rockwell Steel closed its Coraopolis plant Ed moved with the company to Indiana in 1960. Flo was hired by Stanley Home Products, where she became a manager and stayed for 40 years. Ed died in 2001.

She remained in good health until recently, and celebrated her 95th birthday by riding a motorcycle.

Flo is survived by three children : John and Gary Lemley and Margie Pickens. A fourth child, Mara Lynn, died in 2002, and two children died at birth. She has 11 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren, and 12 great great grandchildren. A nephew, Jeff Lemley, still resides in Coraopolis, and a niece, Helen Hayman, resides in Moon Township.

Interment will be Monday, December 5, at 10 a.m. at Fairview Cemetery in Mishewaka, Indiana.

Danny DiNardo, 82, of Hiland Avenue in Coraopolis, has died.

He will be remembered on Friday, December 2 at 9:30 a.m. at a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Coraopolis, followed by entombment at Resurrection Cemetery.

Dinardo is survived by nieces Arlene Connor of Pennsbury; Patricia Ceron of Yorba Linda, California; and Michele Dinardo of Los Angeles; and nephew Daniel Ferdinand DiNardo of Fullerton, California.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years, Marie Grace (DiStiso).

DiNardo graduated from Coraopolis High School, then went on to Penn State's College of Business and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He pursued a career as a tax attorney, working for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington D.C. and later at Rockwell International in Pittsburgh. He taught Business Law at Robert Morris University and remained an active member of the Allegheny County Bar Association through 2015.

He was the fourth child of Daniel and Velia DiNardo, who emigrated from Abruzzo in Italy to Coraopolis in 1920. His older siblings, Valerio, Rudolph and Anne each predeceased Danny.

Much of his spare time was spent working with the Coraopolis School district and the Borough of Coraopolis in various development projects. As a former IRS tax attorney, his advice on tax matters was valued by small local businessmen, especially those just starting their businesses.