Recent  Obituaries

Mildred “Midge” Scruitsky, age 90, of Jackson Township, passed away Thursday morning, April 23rd, 2026 at the Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dallas, PA.

Born in Kingston Township, she was the daughter of the late John and Anna Katchmar of Shavertown. Midge was born, raised and lived her entire life in the Back Mountain area. She was a graduate of Lehman Jackson High School where she enjoyed playing her accordion and marching with the band as a majorette. She later received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Home Economics and a Minor in General Science from Misericordia University. Midge also did post-graduate work at the Pennsylvania State University’s University Park campus.

Midge taught at Lake-Noxen High School and then later at Lehman High School. After raising a family, she later taught as a substitute teacher at Gate of Heaven School in Dallas and Bishop O’Reilly High School in Kingston, and then as a full-time teacher at West Side Career and Technology Center, in Pringle, from which she retired. Midge served as President of the Luzerne County Homemaking Teachers Association. Midge also taught Arts and Crafts at the Wilkes-Barre Catholic Youth Center. 

Midge was involved with various activities and events at Gate of Heaven Church where she was a member for over 60 years. She served as President of the Altar and Rosary Society, which included the management of blood drives and teaching Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) to the schoolchildren. Midge also served as President of the West Luzerne District of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and she also served as Regent of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Court Loyola 619. She also scheduled the church’s Altar Servers. 

Midge had many gifts, talents and passions as she loved to sew, cook, and do arts and crafts, many of which she provided to the church in support of their various fundraisings and religious events. She loved going on vacations and attending sporting events with the family. Midge was an avid Penn State and Phillies fan. She loved to serve as a judge at local sewing competitions. Midge continually used her talents in service to the church. Learning from her mother, Midge enjoyed making dishes, cookies and other treats for family and friends. 

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 47 years, Robert Stanley Scruitsky, her sister Ruth Ann (Bombick) and her husband Donald, and nephew Daniel Bombick. 

Surviving her are her sons Robert Lee of Lexington Park, MD; William Robert and his wife Renee of Peyton, CO; and Gary David and his wife Jennifer of Indian Trail, NC. Mildred had five grandchildren Rebekah (Gibson) and her husband Tanner; Joshua, Autumn, Aaron, and Aidan; and four great granddaughters Katana, Willow, Raegan, and Mabel. Also surviving are her nephews David Bombick (and his wife Betsy) of Winston-Salem, NC; Edward Pointon (and his wife Ann Marie) of Courtdale, PA, and Kathy Walker (and her husband Richard) of Stillwater, PA.  



Funeral services will begin Wednesday, April 29^th at 10:00 AM from Harold C. Snowdon Funeral Home, Inc., 140 N. Main St. Shavertown.  A Mass of Christian Burial will then be held at 10:30 AM at Gate of Heaven Church, 40 Machell Ave., Dallas. Rev. Andrew Hvozdovic will officiate. Interment will then follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Wyoming.  Friends may call on Tuesday, April 28^th from 5 PM to 7 PM at the funeral home.

Midge’s family sincerely thanks all of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Meadows Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for the wonderful care they provided. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Gate of Heaven Church. 

Samuel Perta, 61, of Swoyersville, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, April 16^th, 2026 at Commonwealth General Hospital, Wilkes-Barre.

Born in Wilkes-Barre, he was the son of the late Vincent and Jane (Baranowski) Perta.

Sam graduated from Coughlin High School, Class of 1982. He immediately joined the family business and owned and operated VJs Hideaway in Plains for over 40 years. He owned many race horses with his partner, Bill Mullin, and was most recently employed by Federated Car Care.

He devoted his life to his wife and sons.  No matter what sport or event his kids did he never missed a game and was “all in”. He not only coached soccer but was an officer of the Larksville Shamrocks and West Side United and was also President of the Wyoming Valley Soccer Club.  He not only coached Basketball but ran the Athletic Association and Gym Manager for Good Shephard Academy, as well as many other Travel Basketball Teams. He was also President of the Holy Redeemer Football Booster Club.

He was happiest at the beach, listening to music, attending an Eddie Money Concert, doing Crosswords or solitaire, or  just hanging out at his favorite spot, Chacko’s Memory Lane Lounge, which we called his second home and family. You could always count on him to make everyone laugh with his bad humor and smart remarks.   Sam never held anything back. He was also an avid bowler for many years in his younger days bowling in  many leagues across the Wyoming Valley with many awards for high scores (even though he could never beat his wife’s perfect game). He was an animal lover and rescued many dogs over his lifetime. 

In addition to his parents, Sam was preceded in death by his brother, Vincent Perta.

Surviving are his high school sweetheart and wife of  38 years the former Lisa Pasternak;  sons, Joshua (Swoyersville) and his fiancé, Hope Decker, and his expected first granddaughter; Zachary (at home) and his girlfriend Amirah Burrell; sisters, Patricia Shelley and her husband Garry, Sebring Florida; and Darlene Lacomis and her husband, Joseph, Plains; many nieces and nephews; and of course his very best friend Toby.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Monday, April 27^th at 11 a.m. from Corpus Christi Parish, 605 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston.  Msgr. John J. Sempa will officiate.   Friends may call from 10 a.m. until time of service at the church. 

A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Chacko’s Memory Lane Lounge from 2:00 to 4:00.  Family and friends are welcome.

Memorial donations may be made to SPCA in his honor.

JOHN KENNEDY

John Kennedy, 79, passed away peacefully, surrounded by love, with his daughters Leigh Ann, Melissa, and Tracy by his side on Friday, March 20, 2026, in Charleston, South Carolina, after a courageous battle with cancer.
 
Born in 1946 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, John spent his formative years building a deep connection to Harvey’s Lake, where he cherished summers as a teenager and ultimately made his lifelong home. The lake was central to his life, and many remember him fondly as a lifeguard at Sandy Beach or as “Spyder,” the charismatic frontman of his 1960s band, Spyder and the Flies.
 
John graduated from Elmer L. Meyers High School in 1964. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wilkes College in 1968, followed by his Juris Doctor from the Dickinson School of Law in 1972. A highly respected attorney, John built a distinguished career spanning more than five decades. Known for his sharp intellect, commanding presence, and unwavering dedication to his clients, he earned the respect and admiration of colleagues throughout the legal community. He was a longtime member of both the Luzerne County Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
 
Beyond his professional life, John had a remarkable gift for connection. He lit up every room he entered, making people feel instantly welcome and valued. He formed lasting friendships everywhere he went and was deeply involved in his community through numerous social clubs and organizations, where he generously gave his time serving on boards and committees. He was a proud member of ROJ Court 154, a longtime member of the Westmoreland Club, and an active supporter of the F.M. Kirby Center.

An avid golfer, John enjoyed many years on the course with friends and was a member of several area clubs, including Lehman Golf Club, Irem Country Club, and Huntsville Golf Club.
 
John embraced life with passion and enthusiasm. He loved rock ‘n’ roll and live music, traveling, and spending time on the golf course with his buddies. He was also a devoted fan, always cheering on his beloved teams the Celtics, Yankees, the Phillies, and the Eagles. He lived fully and without regret—never wishing he had done more, because he had already done it all.

He is survived by his four daughters: Melissa, Tracy, and Leigh Ann, all of Charleston, South Carolina, and Taylor of Portland, Oregon; as well as seven grandchildren, each of whom he loved deeply and proudly.

He was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Rebecca M. Kennedy of Dallas, Pennsylvania; his father, Howard E. Kennedy; and his mother, Marian J. Kennedy, both of Harvey’s Lake, Pennsylvania.
 
John will be sorely missed by his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing and loving him. His legacy of joy, strength, and living life to the fullest will continue to inspire all whose lives he touched.

Friends may call Friday, April 24^th from 4-7pm at Harold C. Snowdon Funeral Home, Inc., 140 N. Main St., Shavertown.   Funeral Services and Interment will be held privately by family.

All are welcome to join us in celebrating John’s legacy at a luncheon at The Greens at Irem at 1:00 PM on Saturday, April 25th.

 In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor John’s generous spirit and love for others by making a donation in his memory to your local SPCA, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, or Shriners Children’s Hospital in honor of “Little Timmy.” Supporting these causes would be a meaningful way to celebrate the compassion and kindness that defined his life.

JUNE J. STEVENS

June J. Stevens, age 95, of Dallas, passed away on April 19, 2026 at Allied Services Center City Skilled Nursing in Wilkes-Barre, surrounded by her loving family.
 
Born in Wyoming, PA to Harold and Leona Johnson, she was a graduate of Wyoming Seminary, Kingston. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband CWO2 Clyde C. Stevens, USMC (Ret.), after 64 years of marriage. She was also pre-deceased by her brothers, Burton S. Johnson and Harold Gordon Johnson.
 
During the many years of Clyde’s service to our country in the U.S. Marine Corps, June and Clyde moved extensively, living as far away as Hawaii and as close as southeastern Pennsylvania, with numerous assignments elsewhere. But finally, upon Clyde’s retirement in 1969, the family was able to return to the Wyoming Valley, where June and Clyde were born and grew up. Clyde began his civilian career at that point and June was employed as Office Manager of the local Boy Scout office. She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre, where she was Secretary of the Women’s Association. She was also a member of the Irem Legion of Honor Ladies.

During their retirement years, June and Clyde both enjoyed traveling to many states including Hawaii and Alaska as well as Canada and taking multiple cruises, often traveling with their close-knit group of friends. June was also known as an excellent cook, and many happy family memories were made around the dining table and on holidays and special occasions.
 
June is survived by her daughters, Linda (Daniel) Jones and Kimberly (Charles) Borland, both of Dallas; grandsons, U.S. Air Force Major (Ret.) Nathan (Danielle) Jones of Timnath, Colorado and Kyle (Mikayla) Borland, of Shavertown; and great-grandchildren, Andrew and Christina Jones of Timnath and Vivian and Cooper Borland of Shavertown.
 
The family would like to express special thanks to Dr. Barry Bernstein in particular and Dr. James Tricarico and Dr. Patrick Kilduff for the exceptional care provided to June. They would also like to express appreciation to the staffs of both Village at Greenbriar Senior Living in Dallas and Allied Services Center City Skilled Nursing and Hospice Center in Wilkes-Barre for their compassionate care and support of June during her final months.
 
Services will be held  on Monday April 27th at 1 pm at Harold C. Snowdon Funeral Home, Inc., 140 North Main Street, Shavertown. Friends may call  3-5 pm Sunday at the funeral home. Interment will be at Chapel Lawn, Dallas. Her minister, The Rev. Dr. Robert Zanicky, will officiate.
 
If so desired, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 97 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701.

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