Beatrice P. Bell

Washington resident,

formerly of Carnegie

Beatrice P. Bell, 87, of Washington, formerly of Carnegie, died Thursday, May 3, 2007.

She was the beloved wife of the late George R. Bell; loving mother of Beverley Benard; sister of the late Clarence, Melvin, Harold and Wilbur Cain, Kay Kopia and Betty Koss; three grandchildren, Colleen Benard, Tracie (Jody) Scott and Jerry Benard; and four great-grandchildren; Caitlin and Colton Scott, Evan Quattro and Zachary Benard.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Henney Bradwell and Nirella Funeral Home, 524 Washington Avenue, Carnegie, where services will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, May 5.

Thomas Wayne Oakley

Washington resident

Thomas Wayne "Oak Tree" Oakley, 40, of Washington, died Wednesday, May 2, 2007, in Washington Hospital.

He was born March 9, 1967, in Washington, a son of Carol Darlene Oakley.

Surviving are his wife, Jackie Oakley of Washington; grandmother Grace Thomas; a sister, DeeRayie Hicks of Washington; two bothers, Timothy A. Oakley of Tacoma, Wash., and Steve Oakley of Cokeburg; five children; two grandchildren; and a host of other loving family members.

Family and friends are welcome to celebrate his life from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd., 27 Cherry Avenue, Houston, where services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 5, with the Rev. Lance B. Whitlock officiating. Interment will follow in Forest Lawn Gardens, McMurray. Please add or view tributes at www.mcilvaine-speakmanfuneralhome.com.

Sanford Doraine Griffin

Smithfield resident was heavy equipment operator

Sanford Doraine Griffin, 65, of Smithfield, died Wednesday, May 2, 2007, in Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh.

He was born October 24, 1941, in Dilliner, a son of Sanford Thorton Griffin and Virgina Pearl Hart Griffin.

A heavy equipment operator, he spent his life in the Greene, Fayette and Preston County areas.

Surviving are a sister, Jaretta Griffin Faust of Carlsbad, N.M.; and five children and their families.

Deceased is a brother, Robert Griffin.

At the request of the deceased, there will be no public services. Cremation arrangements are in the care of the Richard R. Herod Funeral Home, Point Marion.

Frank Terrett

Frank Terrett of Bentleyville, Somerset Township, died unexpectedly Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and are under the direction of Greenlee Funeral Home, 619 Main Street, Bentleyville. A complete obituary will be published in a later edition.

David Curtis Bongiorno

Vietnam vet, steel roller for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel

David Curtis "Banjo" Bongiorno, 56, of Buffalo Township, died unexpectedly Monday, April 30, 2007, in St. Martin, Netherlands Antilles.

He was born November 6, 1950, in Charleroi, a son of the late Thomas and Dawn Elizabeth Anderson Bongiorno.

Mr. Bongiorno was a member of First United Presbyterian Church, Claysville, and a former member of Polish National Alliance.

He worked as a steel roller for Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel in Allenport, and was a graduate of Belle Vernon High School.

Mr. Bongiorno was a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army.

He was an outdoorsman who loved deer hunting and sailing.

On May 19, 1992, he married Patricia Sue Seybert, who survives.

Also surviving are three children, Jennifer Lea, James Curtis and Karen Elizabeth Bongiorno, all of Belle Vernon; four grandchildren, Madeleine Rayne, James Gerald, Taylor Jean and Gabriella Ann Bongiorno; a brother, James Curtis Bongiorno and wife Vickie of Belle Vernon; two nieces; a nephew; his first wife, Claudia Jean Wozniak Stewart of Fayette City; and his father in-law and mother-in-law, Tom and Eva Seybert.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday in Hummell and Barnhill Funeral Home Inc., 420 Locust Avenue, Washington, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 7, with Rev. Kenneth Nowlin officiating. Interment will follow in Claysville Cemetery. Full military rites will be accorded by American Legion Edwin Scott Linton Post 175 of Washington. Please add online condolences at www.hummellandbarnhill.com.

Josephine F. Gazvoda

St. Mary's Church member, 50-year SNPJ member

Josephine F. "Babe" Sedmak Gazvoda, 73, of Canonsburg, died at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

She was born August 28, 1933, in Canonsburg, a daughter of Joseph and Ivanka Kovcic Sedmak.

Mrs. Gazvoda was a member of St. Mary's Church in Cecil. She was a 1951 graduate of Cecil High School.

She worked at RCA for several years and was in food service with First Street School, Canon-McMillan School District before her retirement. She also was a homemaker.

Mrs. Gazvoda was a 50-year member of SNPJ Lodge 138, Strabane.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

On October 10, 1953, she married James J. Gazvoda, who survives.

Also surviving are three daughters, Debra A. (Joe) Macerelli of McDonald, Joanne (Chris) Robison of McDonald and Janine (Rick) Lyons of Greensboro, N.C.; two sons, James J. (Becky) Gazvoda of Canonsburg and Bruce E. (Gloria) Gazvoda of McDonald; a brother, Stanley (Carrie) Guzell of Strabane; a sister, Ella O'Hare of Cecil Township; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Deceased is a brother, Joseph J. Sedmak.

Friends were received Thursday and will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Salandra Funeral Home, 304 West Pike Street, Canonsburg, Joseph P. Salandra, supervisor. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in St. Mary's Church, Cecil. Interment will follow in St. Mary's Cemetery. Donations may be sent to Quality Family Care, 701 Highland Avenue, Canonsburg, PA 15317. Please view or add online tributes at www.salandrafuneralhome.com.

Michael U. Sherman

McDonald resident

Michael U. Sherman, 50, of McDonald, Cecil Township, died unexpectedly in his residence Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

He was born January 31, 1957, in Pittsburgh, a son of Richard Sr. and Marjorie Lucas Sherman of McDonald.

Surviving, in addition to his parents, are his wife, Anita Herczeg Sherman; two daughters, Nicole Sherman and Ashley Sherman, both at home; a sister, Ruth Ann Rozanc of West Alexander; two brothers, Solon Ed Sherman and Richard Allen Sherman, both of McDonald; and several nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Eugene C. Coleman Funeral Home, Route 50, Cecil, where services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5. Interment will be private.

Melvin B. Bassi

County attorney, former commissioner

Melvin B. Bassi, 80, died Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

He was born November 14, 1926, a son of Bruno and Clara Bassi.

In his family's eyes, a life more full had never been lived, a career more accomplished had never been achieved and a man more loved by so many had never been seen.

His youth was tempered by the Great Depression. Following graduation from Charleroi High School in 1944, he received his father's blessing, covertly slipped away from his mother's objections and enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving two years in South Pacific Theater. Upon returning home, he attended Washington & Jefferson College and received a degree in economics, class of 1949. He went on to the University of Pittsburgh Law School and received his law degree in 1952. In 2006, Washington & Jefferson awarded him the prestigious doctor of laws honorary degree.

At the time of his death, Mr. Bassi was the chief executive officer of a law firm and a bank, both of which he grew simultaneously from one-room offices and meager beginnings into multi-county prestigious businesses.

For nearly 60 years, Mr. Bassi practiced law with a passion for the profession and a commitment to the clients he represented. On his last day, he reviewed documents, dictated a letter and instructed his secretary regarding a case while hooked to an IV inside a hospital room.

He was a member of Washington County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Association, American Bar Association and numerous other legal-related societies. His law firm, Bassi, McCune and Vreeland P.C., embraces the character and principles he personified.

Similarly, Charleroi Federal Savings Bank reflects his persona. He began as a member of the board of directors in 1958, then quickly elevated to president of Charleroi Federal, a position he held for 37 years, until he stepped aside in 2000 and became chairman of the board of directors. He led the bank through a dynamic growth period during this time. He took this institution from a single office in Charleroi to an eight-branch customer-oriented regional bank. A week before he died, he approved plans to break ground for a ninth branch located off the Beau Street exit in Washington.

In addition to these full-time positions, from time to time he took on countless roles within the county and the numerous communities he served. He chaired Washington County Redevelopment Authority from 1956 to 1970. He was Washington County solicitor from 1981 to 1995, when he accepted an appointment as Washington County commissioner. He served as solicitor for Charleroi School District for 45 years and served as solicitor for the Authority of the Borough of Charleroi for almost 20 years. He was president of Washington County Bar Association in 1974 and served on numerous local and statewide committees within the legal profession and banking industry.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Bassi enjoyed athletics. He played football, baseball and basketball in high school, baseball in college and in 1955, he launched his vocation as a football official. For 16 years, he was a well-known high school and college official. In 1966, he began an 18-year managerial career in youth baseball. To this day, many of the players that he officiated or coached recall fond memories of their association.

As the years went on, Mr. Bassi developed special ties with various educational institutions. From 1973 to 1998, he served as a trustee for Washington & Jefferson College. For the following nine years, he served as trustee emeritus. He was a devoted Pitt supporter and the recipient of the Golden Panther Man of the Year Award on two occasions.

Mr. Bassi received numerous awards throughout his life including the Italian Heritage Society Excellence in Law Award, the Mon Valley Mind, Body and Spirit Award and the Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame Award. In 2004, he was inducted into the Mid Mon Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1998, Mr. Bassi received the highly acclaimed Entrepreneur of the Year Award from Washington & Jefferson College. Most recently, he and his wife were named by the Washington County Foundation as Philanthropists of the Year in 2005. Also in 2005, he was elected into the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers Hall of Fame. Despite these numerous awards, accolades and accomplishments, the greatest honor ever bestowed upon him was the genuine gift of friendship that he received from those he met. His life exemplified excellence, and he will be missed by many whose lives he touched.

Surviving are his devoted wife of 58 years, Lillian; four sons and their wives, Brad and Joanie, Keith and Betsy, Neil and Donna and Mitchell and Florence; grandchildren, of whom he was most proud, Laura, David, Michelle, Marianne, Micael, Brooke, Kiersten, Ryan, Amy and John; and a younger sister, Beverly Green and her husband, Jack.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday in Schrock-Hogan Funeral Home & Cremation Services Inc., 226 Fallowfield Avenue, Charleroi. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 7, in Christ Lutheran Church, 6th and Washington avenues, Charleroi with the Rev. Kenneth Schott officiating. Those attending are asked to go directly to the church. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Bassi Family Fund, The Washington County Community Foundation, 77 South Main Street, Washington, PA 15301, which will be distributed by the family for community and educational purposes. www.schrock-hogan.com

Marjorie Lerch

Lowe Gillen

'67 West Greene H.S. grad, longtime day-care provider

Marjorie Lerch Lowe Gillen, 58, of Gaithersburg, Md., died of cardiac arrest Friday, April 18, 2007, in Montgomery General Hospital, Olney, Md.

She was born September 12, 1948, in Long Island, N.Y., a daughter of Ann Lerch of Holbrook and the late Walter Lerch.

Mrs. Gillen was a 1967 West Greene High School graduate.

She worked for five years for the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., and five years as a legal secretary in Washington, D.C. For 27 years, she worked as a day-care provider in Gaithersburg.

A member of Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary, she was an avid Steelers and Elvis Presley fan.

For 22 years, she was the wife of Dennis B. Gillen, who survives.

Also surviving, in addition to her husband and mother, are a son, Michael Lowe of Gaithersburg; a stepson, Bryan Gillen of Stuart, Fla.; a stepdaughter, Stephanie Gillen of Van Nuys, Calif.; two brothers, Lawrence Lerch of Wareham, Mass., and Walter Lerch of Washington; and a grandchild.

Deceased is a brother, William Lerch of Holbrook.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Monday, April 23, in St. Martin's Catholic Church, Gaithersburg. Arrangements handled by DeVol Funeral Home, Gaithersburg.

Grace M. Rathbone

RCA retiree was avid bowler

Grace M. Rathbone, 94, of Houston, died Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Greenery Speciality Care Center, Canonsburg.

She was born December 30, 1912, in Meadow Lands, a daughter of Albert and Catherine Bowers Haught.

Mrs. Rathbone retired from RCA in 1976 after 30 years of service. She was a member of South Canonsburg Church and a former member of Houston Methodist Church.

She was an avid bowler.

On July 1, 1939, she married John Donald Rathbone, who died January 20, 1989.

Mrs. Rathbone proudly raised her nephew Randy Haught. She kept young by baby-sitting Megan and Luke Moore.

Surviving are two sons, Donald (Rebecca) Rathbone of Margate, Fla., and Daniel Lee Rathbone of Missions Hills, Calif.; four granddaughters, Heather Morales, twins Laura Ann and Alycia Lyn Rathbone and Kristie Flanagan; a great-granddaughter, Olivia Iris Morales; a brother, Raymond Haught of Washington; and a sister, Edna Collar of McMurray.

Deceased are a sister, Ruth Russell; and four brothers, Earl, Bill, Clyde and Walt Haught.

Friends will be received from 2 to 9 p.m. Sunday in McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd., 27 Cherry Avenue, Houston, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 7, with the Rev. Steven Parkhill officiating. Entombment will follow in Forest Lawn Gardens, McMurray. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Gideons International, P.O. Box 8116, VanNuys, CA 91407; or Aseracare, 1500 Ardmore Blvd., Suite 501, Pittsburgh, PA 15221. Please add or view tributes at www.mcilvaine-speakmanfuneralhome.com.

Shelby Jean Skariot

Member of Third United Presbyterian Church

Shelby Jean Skariot, 71, of Washington, died unexpectedly at 4:47 a.m. Thursday, May 3, 2007, in Washington Hospital.

She was born March 29, 1936, in Washington, a daughter of Auburn Sr. and Elizabeth Grimm Kennedy.

Mrs. Skariot graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1954, attended Penn Commercial Business School, and had been a packer at Brockway Glass.

A member of Third United Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Skariot enjoyed being a grandmother and making crafts.

On June 8, 1957, she married John A. Skariot Sr., who survives.

Also surviving are a son, John A. Skariot Jr. (Frances) of Avella; two daughters, Susan Renee Raineri (Jeffrey) of Avella and Diana Lynn Skariot (Hal Garrett) of Uniontown; two brothers, Auburn Kennedy Jr. of Scenery Hill and William Kennedy of Yalaha, Fla.; four grandchildren, Anthony Skariot (Deana) and Nicholas Skariot (Brenna) and Matthew and Marissa Raineri; and a great-grandchild, Morgan Elizabeth Skariot.

Deceased are a grandchild, Samantha Raineri, a great-grandson, Hayden Lee Skariot; and a sister, Connie Cursi.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday in William G. Neal Funeral Homes Ltd., 925 Allison Avenue, Washington, where services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, May 7, with Pastor Fran Skariot officiating. Interment will follow in National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Cecil Township.

Additional information and guest book are online www.NealFuneralHome.com.

Vincent A. Sonson

Beth-Center, Fox Chapel, Shadyside teacher, coach

Vincent A. Sonson, 78, of Glenshaw, died Thursday, May 3, 2007.

Mr. Sonson had been a teacher and coach in Beth-Center and Fox Chapel School districts and Shadyside Academy.

He was the husband of Helen Plany Sonson and the late Angela Foglia Sonson; father of Yanessa (Andy) Flanders, Judy Badarraco, Elizabeth (Jeff) Whiteko, Jeannette (Calvin) Andrews, Mary (Tom) Ross, Vincent (Dianne) Sonson and Helena (Scott) Pingree; brother of Mary Jane Yevins, Frances Mele, Rita Fetsko and the late Leonora Jackson; grandfather of Andrew, Lauren, Angela, Jordan, Jasmine, Maya, Salvatore, Matteo and Lucas; great-grandfather of Alexander.

Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday in Neelys Funeral Home, 2208 Mt. Royal Boulevard, Glenshaw. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in St. Bonaventure Church, Glenshaw. Memorials are suggested to Good Samaritan Hospice, 3500 Brooktree Road, Suite 320, Wexford, PA 15090.

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