Skook News Obituaries: August 18th, 2025
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
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Mariano was a proud U.S. Army Veteran, serving in Vietnam. He had completed high school and attended law school for a short period of time. He later worked for the U.S. Postal Service, serving as both a Supervisor and later as a Postmaster in New York.
He was predeceased by his sister, Nani Galvan.
Mariano is survived by two daughters, Lourdes I., wife of John Peska, Long Island, NY, and Cristina, wife of Kumar Seeraj, Frackville, PA; one son, Erik, husband of Dinita Roldan, Pasadena, TX; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and one sister, Evelyne de Guzman.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday at 9:00 AM at the Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, 48 N. Broad Mountain Ave., Frackville. Viewings will be held Wednesday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM and Thursday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will be at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA.
Online photos and memories can be shared at www.markjhummelfuneralhome.com.
Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, Frackville, has charge of arrangements.
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Vincent was the author of The Great Bunhill Fields Costume Party and Other Stories, a novel of 11 interrelated short fictions; The Only Survivor and Other Poems; and numerous critical essays, book reviews and other works. He was preparing a manuscript, The Delancy Quintet and Other Fiction and Poems, for publication at the time of his death.
Among his many professional accomplishments, he was Senior Fulbright Scholar at Maria-Curie Sklowdowska University in Lublin, Poland, and served as assistant professor of American and British literature at Pahlavi University in Shiraz, Iran. He taught at West Chester University, DeSales University and Penn State–Berks, among other schools and institutions.
He was awarded a Pennsylvania Grant for Poetry and named a Poetry Fellow with the Pennsylvania Council on Arts. With the support and assistance of the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, Vincent organized and served as chairman of two major literary events—the John O’Hara conferences of 1978 and 1982, both held in Pottsville. These were unique affairs, as almost all literary symposiums are sponsored and held on college campuses. He brought O’Hara’s leading scholars and biographers, including Matthew J. Bruccoli and Frank MacShane, to Pottsville for the conferences, and created walking and bus tours of the region that became staples of subsequent O’Hara celebrations.
Vincent also founded and edited The John O’Hara Journal, which published scholarly articles about O’Hara and other American authors, as well as fiction and poetry, from 1978 to 1982.
Vincent’s passion was reading and writing, and he assembled a world-class library at his home, including extensive collections in history, art and criticism. He concentrated on modern first editions and poetry; signed and numbered chapbooks; and limited editions and broadsides.
He also loved to eat and drink and was a self-proclaimed wine snob and gourmand: good wine, good food, good conversation—preferably all at once. His Bunhill Fields novel centered on those pleasures, his characters never far from table. Here, the narrator of the novel describes a typical dinner gathering:
“I settled for four each of the oysters, and two flutes of Cristal. There were bottles of Muscadet from Chateau de Chasseloir, and a Chablis from Domaine Lorche, two wines I like with shellfish…. The soup was heady with garlic, the sherry’s alcohol cooked off, a poached egg afloat. Some drank a traditional Mandileno, but I stayed with the Cristal. Thirteen Roasted Iberico Black Footed Suckling Pigs were carried to carving stations while the serving staff asked each of us what part of the piglets we preferred, I opted for a shank and some snout meat.”
Vincent was born Jan. 21, 1944, to William D. Balitas, a prominent Pottsville lawyer, and Kathryn Regina (Curran) Balitas. He was a graduate of Nativity BVM High School, the University of Scranton (Bachelor of Arts 1965, Master of Arts 1970) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Doctor of Philosophy 1973).
He met his wife, Margaret, or “Maggie,” while at Indiana, and after their graduations they lived for several years in San Francisco, Calif., where Vincent taught at the Bay Area Center. He and Maggie eventually divorced, but his books were dedicated “for Margaret,” and “for M., again.”
Over the course of his eight decades, Vincent formed lasting friendships with fellow Pottsvillians—many who shared his passion for golf—and with prominent poets and writers in the United States and overseas. He was a grand storyteller (and loved to hear others tell stories), and he enjoyed playing the role of the rake—when not playing at being a curmudgeon. But Vincent was generous and kind-hearted, despite the trouble he took to burnish his rapscallion image.
He held strong opinions, especially when it came to writers and books, but welcomed debate and playful argle-bargle—so long as his glass was full and the table laden. He was, in a word, Falstaffian, and was loved and admired by friends and colleagues both—and will be sorely missed.
Early in his writing career, Vincent worked on a semi-autobiographical poem called Heckscherville Road, sections of which he published in The Only Survivor. One such section can serve as an epitaph he no doubt would approve:
dead mike frozengently propped against the wallas the lads to the church with him were headedstopped at curran’s saloon to cheericed mike on his way they thoughthours later defrosted mikedrunk as he sprawled underthe corkless square dartboard
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Born on September 20, 1930 in Ansbach, Germany. She was the daughter of the late Georg and Elisabeth Vogel.
Preceding her in death were her husband of over 57 years, Thomas Jesse Shay, in 2011 and her grandson Ronald Rose Jr. (husband of Gina) in 2020.
Gertrude is survived by one daughter (Eveline and husband Ron of Pottsville); three sons(Thomas of Cressona, Richard and wife Heidi of Schuylkill Haven, John and wife Terry of Pottsville); two sisters (Irmgard Unruh and Hedwig Hoffmann of Ansbach, Germany); seven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
As a young girl, Gertrude's childhood was spent in beautiful Bavaria. However, with the onset of World War II, she and her family suffered through Allied bombings, extensive depravations, and numerous hardships.
After the war, Gertrude met her husband Thomas while he was a US Army soldier stationed in Ansbach. She emigrated to the United States in 1953 with their daughter Eveline. Eventually she proudly attained her US citizenship.
She was employed for many years by Julliette Bridal and Special Moments as a seamstress. Her skills as a seamstress resulted in her establishing many lifelong friendships.
Gertrude's culinary skills resulted in her preparing many delicious, traditional Bavarian dishes and baking truly wondrous German cakes and cookies. Her holiday meals always provided Gemütlichkeit (a German feeling of warmth, friendliness, and good cheer).
She always had plenty of love and compassion for her many beloved dogs.
Sleepovers at Gertrude's home were a wonderful way for her grandchildren to create lasting memories, enjoy quality time, and fostered strong bonds.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, August 21 at 10:00 AM at Lord Ebling Haus Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. at 1818 Mahantongo St., Pottsville with Reverend Dr. Hugh Vrablic officiating. There willbe a viewing prior to the service from 9:00 AM until 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.
The family would prefer contributions be made to either the Hillside SPCA P. O. Box 233, Pottsville, PA 17901 or United Presbyterian Church 214 Mahantongo St., Pottsville, PA 17901 in her memory.
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Thomas Berresford, 84, a resident of Shenandoah, passed away on August 14th, 2025.
Tom was born in Shenandoah on August 13th, 1941, a son of the late Thomas and Eleanor (Schamonskie) Berresford. He graduated from the former JW Cooper High School, Class of 1961, and began he working career, eventually retiring from the former Purolator Products in Ringtown.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Ann Malinchock. He is survived by his long time companion, Mary Lou Popalis and by a sister, Frances Igo, both of Shenandoah.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Scripture Service at the Walukiewicz Oravitz-Fell Funeral Home, 132 South Jardin Street, Shenandoah at 10 AM on Monday, August 25th, 2025, followed by interment in the Annunciation Cemetery, Shenandoah.
A time for visitation will held from 9-10 AM prior to the service at the funeral home.
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These obituaries are being brought to by Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, Frackville
