Skook News Obituaries: May 7th, 2026
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
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Wes was born in Reading on October 4, 1959, a son of the late Rev. William and Esther (Seip) Martin. He was a 1977 graduate of North Schuylkill High School. He began his working career with the former Wenco Window Company of Ringtown, now Jeld-Wen, and then moved on to work at MI Windows and Doors in Hegins, where he was last employed.
A man who enjoyed motorcycles and riding his Harley, he was a member of ABATE of Pennsylvania. He also was an avid outdoorsman who loved bird watching, hunting, fishing and just spending time in the Pennsylvania woods. He was a member of the Shenandoah Fish and Game Club.
Since childhood, Wes was a baseball enthusiast. He was a player in the adult softball leagues in his youth, where he played for Bott’s and the Ringtown Mustangs before coaching little league in the Conygham area. He also was a devoted fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was recently able to take several family trips to see them play.
Wes is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kay (Schmidt) Martin, and by his two children, Jesse Martin (Tiffany Cerklefskie) and Cheyene Martin (Todd Yoder). A sister, Ruth Bensinger and a brother David Martin also survive, along with an extended family of relatives and good friends.
In accordance with his wishes, private services are being provided by the Stauffer-Breznik Funeral Home of Ringtown.
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Charles Albert “Chuck” Koch, Jr., 79, of Wernersville, Pennsylvania, formerly of Pine Grove, passed away peacefully at his home on May 5, 2026. Born on February 21, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late Charles Albert Koch and Eleanor Hallsworth Koch.
Chuck was a 1965 graduate of Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He later graduated from Shippensburg State College in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in English and Speech. While attending Shippensburg, he was a member of the varsity soccer team and set a college record for the most goals scored in a single game, a record he held for many years. He was also an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, serving as president during both his junior and senior years.
Following graduation, Chuck began his career in education with the Council Rock School District, where he taught and coached both soccer and wrestling. After several years, he pursued his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Country Club Pools in Warrington, Pennsylvania, specializing in the design, construction, and maintenance of swimming pools.
Later, after relocating to Central Pennsylvania, Chuck transitioned into the financial services industry, joining the brokerage firm Bache, Halsey, Stuart & Shields, which later became Prudential Securities. He went on to enjoy a successful 43-year career as a financial advisor before retiring from RBC Wealth Management in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. He was also an active partner of the Turnbridge Group.
Chuck had a deep love for the outdoors. An avid fisherman and hunter, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by purchasing a 125-acre farm in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, where he managed a private small-game hunting club for more than 20 years. He cherished the friendships formed there and especially enjoyed hosting family gatherings on the property.
Fishing was one of Chuck’s greatest passions, and he spent many memorable trips in New York and Canada. His favorite destination was Loughborough Lake in Battersea, Ontario. He also enjoyed fishing the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region near Clayton, New York, where he loved hosting family and friends at his home.
Chuck served as president of the Blind Bay Dock Association in Clayton, New York, and was a member of the Oak Grove Sportsman’s Club in Pine Grove, as well as the Tulpehocken Rifle and Pistol Club. He was also a devoted member of Outwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pine Grove.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Darlene Kay Koch of Wernersville; his two sons, Christopher Charles Koch of Harrisburg and Richard Wayne Koch of Womelsdorf; and his two grandsons, Connor Patrick Koch and Keegan Christopher Koch of Harrisburg.
Chuck is also survived by his sister, Margie Tignor and her husband, Troy, of Yardley, Pennsylvania; his sister-in-law, Judith Koch of The Villages, Florida; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and 10 great-nieces and great-nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Koch.
A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held on June 13, 2026, at 11am at GroveLife Wesleyan Church, 74 Bethel Road, Pine Grove, PA, with a visitation beginning at 10 am.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Outwood Evangelical Lutheran Church, 706 Oak Grove Road, Pine Grove, PA 17963, or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
Chuck was a 1965 graduate of Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He later graduated from Shippensburg State College in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in English and Speech. While attending Shippensburg, he was a member of the varsity soccer team and set a college record for the most goals scored in a single game, a record he held for many years. He was also an active member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, serving as president during both his junior and senior years.
Following graduation, Chuck began his career in education with the Council Rock School District, where he taught and coached both soccer and wrestling. After several years, he pursued his entrepreneurial spirit by founding Country Club Pools in Warrington, Pennsylvania, specializing in the design, construction, and maintenance of swimming pools.
Later, after relocating to Central Pennsylvania, Chuck transitioned into the financial services industry, joining the brokerage firm Bache, Halsey, Stuart & Shields, which later became Prudential Securities. He went on to enjoy a successful 43-year career as a financial advisor before retiring from RBC Wealth Management in Lemoyne, Pennsylvania. He was also an active partner of the Turnbridge Group.
Chuck had a deep love for the outdoors. An avid fisherman and hunter, he fulfilled a lifelong dream by purchasing a 125-acre farm in Pine Grove, Pennsylvania, where he managed a private small-game hunting club for more than 20 years. He cherished the friendships formed there and especially enjoyed hosting family gatherings on the property.
Fishing was one of Chuck’s greatest passions, and he spent many memorable trips in New York and Canada. His favorite destination was Loughborough Lake in Battersea, Ontario. He also enjoyed fishing the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region near Clayton, New York, where he loved hosting family and friends at his home.
Chuck served as president of the Blind Bay Dock Association in Clayton, New York, and was a member of the Oak Grove Sportsman’s Club in Pine Grove, as well as the Tulpehocken Rifle and Pistol Club. He was also a devoted member of Outwood Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pine Grove.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Darlene Kay Koch of Wernersville; his two sons, Christopher Charles Koch of Harrisburg and Richard Wayne Koch of Womelsdorf; and his two grandsons, Connor Patrick Koch and Keegan Christopher Koch of Harrisburg.
Chuck is also survived by his sister, Margie Tignor and her husband, Troy, of Yardley, Pennsylvania; his sister-in-law, Judith Koch of The Villages, Florida; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and 10 great-nieces and great-nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Kenneth Koch.
A celebration of Chuck’s life will be held on June 13, 2026, at 11am at GroveLife Wesleyan Church, 74 Bethel Road, Pine Grove, PA, with a visitation beginning at 10 am.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Outwood Evangelical Lutheran Church, 706 Oak Grove Road, Pine Grove, PA 17963, or to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741.
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Obituaries from the past 7 Days
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These obituaries are being brought to by Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, Frackville
