Edward R. Krishack
Edward R. Krishack, 81, of Falling Waters, W.Va., passed away Saturday, May 5, 2018, surrounded by family. He bravely battled Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease for 20 years, beating the odds of his original diagnosis of two years to live in 1998.
He was born April 22, 1937, in Vestaburg, a son of the late Josef and Anna Dunas Kryszak. He tragically lost his parents at age five and he and siblings were placed in the state orphanage. He spent years in and out of numerous foster homes and later was accepted into the Milton Hersey Boys School in Hershey for three years. At age 16, he finally found a foster family that treated him like the parents he lost so young in life, who then moved him to Washington.
Edward graduated from Trinity High School in 1955, where he was a varsity linebacker for the Hillers. While attending high school, he met the love of his life and future wife, who attended the rival high school, Washington High. After graduation, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, to look for work and enroll in college. There, he attended Cuyahoga Community College and worked at US Steel.
On November 24, 1955, Edward married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Pettit. Soon after, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, serving proudly until he was honorably discharged in 1963. Edward and Joanne had two children, Kimberly Ann and Stephan Edward. Last November, he was very proud to celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary.
Edward was a very successful self-made businessman, and while working at US Steel he formed Krishack Insurance Agency, selling insurance part-time until the agency expanded enough for him to become a full-time agent. Years later, the day-to-day operations at the insurance agency were then turned over to his wife Joanne, so that he could focus on his new business venture, Holk Development Construction, where he worked in Cleveland steel mills and new building construction. He transitioned the construction business into federal contracting, opening a branch office in Washington, D.C., in 1985, where the company worked in exclusive federal and Department of Defense Facilities including the Pentagon and White House.
In 2006, after retirement, Edward and Joanne moved to Falling Waters, W.Va., to be involved full time in his business for breeding and racing thoroughbred horses. Over the years, he bred many successful race horses and raced horses in tracks throughout the Eastern United States. One of his most successful horses was Fred High, who won many big races including the 2013 West Virginia’s Breeders Classic.
He is survived by his wife, Joanne; son Stephan (Michelle) Krishack and daughter Kimberly (Patrick) Reilly; foster brother Don (Marsha) Draper; grandchildren Tanya Krishack, Edward (Fernanda) Krishack, Danny (Amanda) Hughes, Mason Krishack, John Patrick (JP) Reilly, Andrew (Andy) Reilly and Kathleen (Katie) Reilly; great-grandchildren Mia and Penelope Krishack and Tyler and Ashley Hughes. He was an uncle to Jesse, Paula, Cindy, Leadonna, Salyana, John and Sarah.
Preceding him in death, in addition to his parents, are his foster parents, Vlasta and Joseph Draper Sr.; brother Joseph Krishack; sister Helen Krishack Williams; foster brother Joseph Draper Jr.; and his oldest brother, Stephan, who is still missing in action from the Korean War.
Family received friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in Brown Funeral Home, with service at 4 p.m.
Wake services will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 11, in Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Home, 420 Locust Avenue, Washington, PA 15301. Interment will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 12, in West Union Cemetery, Dunn’s Station.
Condolences may be offered at www.BrownFuneralHomesWV.com.