OBITUARIES

May 24, 2020

Marquis A. Ellison, 23, of Reading, passed away on Sunday, May 24, 2020 at Penn State Health, St. Joseph Medical Center, Bern Township. Born September 18, 1996 in West Reading, he was the son of Rory A. Ellison Sr., and Jennifer A. (Bobst) Soto, wife of Angel L. Soto. Marquis loved gaming and was known to spend a lot...

May 16, 2020

Gail (Murray) Shapiro, 81, of Seminole, FL, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 16, 2020 in Largo, FL. Born May 6, 1939, in Emerson, New Jersey, she was the daughter of the late Ann (Stewart) and John Murray. Gail graduated from Bogota High School in New Jersey before attending Modeling School in New York. Gail became a professional model...

May 15, 2020

Howard P. Lang, 88, of Kutztown, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2020 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Born April 30, 1932 in Irvington, New Jersey, he was the son of the late Regina F. (Edelman) and Peter Lang. Howard’s wife of 52 years, Martha J. (Lambing) Lang, passed away on May 8, 2017. Howard served...

May 12, 2020

Jo Anne (Lippincott) Gruver, 73, of West Lawn, passed away on Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at Reading Hospital & Medical Center, West Reading. Born February 22, 1947 in Reading, PA, she was the daughter of the late Lucille K. (Remp) and Joseph R. Lippincott, Jr. JoAnne was preceded in death by her two husbands, Robert E. Greth, her husband...

May 11, 2020

Mrs. Ellen Jane (Salmon) Schacht, 85, of Bowers, passed away on Monday, May 11, 2020 in Kutztown, PA as a result of Covid-19. Born August 6, 1934 in Iroquois, Ontario, she was the daughter of the late Jay and Bessie (Merkley) Salmon. Her husband of 44 years, Ray M. Schacht, passed away on November 27, 2015. Ellen attended Morrisburg...

May 10, 2020

John J. Young, 61, of Walnutport, formerly Palmerton passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2020. He is survived by his wife Vicky Young, brother Sam Young, his wife Deborah Young, sister Louise Young, daughter Teah Reichard, her husband Josh Reichard, granddaughter Cayci Reichard, grandson Nicholas Reichard, daughter Tiffani Young, grandsons Eric and Toby Schafer, son Cole Young. Donations can...

May 6, 2020

Mrs. Faith Mary (Claypoole) Riedel, 63, of Blandon, passed away on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. Born April 5, 1957 in West Reading, she was the daughter of the late Johnny P. and Helen M. (Hegarty) Claypoole. She and her husband of 34 years, William D. Riedel, were married on June 15, 1985 in Blandon...

May 4, 2020

Angel M. Suarez, 92, of Leesport, passed away on Monday, May 4, 2020 at Berks Heim. Born December 29, 1927 in Cuba, he was the son of the late Magdalena (Justiniani) and Manuel Suarez-Jimenez. His wife of 48 years, Cohinta (Cecilia) Suarez, passed away on December 8, 1999. Angel worked for many years at the Joseph Cory warehouse as...

May 1, 2020

David J. Hess Sr., 81, of District Township, passed away on Friday, May 1, 2020 at his home. Born August 23, 1938 in Mertztown, he was the son of the late Ambrose and Sallie (Eshbach) Hess. He and his wife of 59 years, Sharon N. (Snavely) Hess, were married on September 3, 1960 in Christ Mertz Lutheran Church, Dryville....

Apr 30, 2020

Mrs. Joan A. (Seaman) Manmiller, 79, of Fleetwood, passed away early Thursday morning, April 30, 2020 at her home in the company of her loving family.

Born April 16, 1941 in West Reading, she was the daughter of the late Russell A. and Elsie L. (Kieffer) Seaman.  Her husband of 58 years, Larry J. Manmiller, passed away...

Apr 24, 2020

Audrey R. (Nicholas) Gummo, 84, formerly of Fleetwood, passed away on Friday morning, April 24, 2020 in Kutztown, PA after a long battle with diabetes. Born November 1, 1935 in Tylersville, PA, she was the daughter of the late Verius “Buck” and Margaret (Slaterbeck) Nicholas. Audrey worked for many years for Western Electric and its successors in quality control....

Apr 12, 2020

LINDA S. (STOLZ) MITCHELL, 69, of Oley Township, passed away April 12, 2020. Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Herbert F. Stolz and Marian G. (Gerberich) Stolz. She is survived by her children, Rebecca Mitchell (wife of John Acquaviva), and Jonathan Mitchell (husband of Christina Mitchell), and her grandsons Evan, Joshua, and James. Other survivors include...

Apr 2, 2020

Kenneth C. Smith, Sr., 83, of Fleetwood, passed away on Thursday morning, April 2, 2020 at Mosser Nursing Home, Trexlertown. Born October 5, 1936 in Schultsville, PA, he was the son of the late Ernest R. and Iva M.E. (Gerhart) Smith. He and the love of his life, Mary A. (Hensinger) Smith, were married on November 3, 1956 in...

Apr 1, 2020

Mrs. Dawn R. (Werley) Burkert, 79, of Fleetwood, passed away on Wednesday evening, April 1, 2020 at Penn State Health, St. Joseph Medical Center, Bern Township, PA. Born June 29, 1940 in Reading, she was the daughter of the late Willard and Elizabeth Werley. She and her husband of 55 years, Earl R. Burkert, were married in St. Paul’s...

Mar 27, 2020

Alice E. (Long) Behm, 75, of Mertztown, passed away surrounded by her loving family, on Friday, March 27, 2020 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown. Born September 20, 1944, she was the daughter of the late Esther C. (Oswald) and Guy W. Long. Her husband of 51 years, Irwin D. “Junior” Behm, passed away on January 6, 2016. Alice was...

Mar 22, 2020

Susan Mary “Suzy Q” Wechezak, 50, of Blandon, passed away on Sunday, March 22, 2020 at her home surrounded by her loving family. Born November 8, 1969 in Allentown, she was the daughter of Mary Ann (Zerebak) Wechezak, Blandon and the late Robert N. Wechezak. Suzy was an amazing woman who communicated with whomever she came in contact with...

Mar 20, 2020

Donald J. “Skip” Bitting, 71, of Blandon, passed away on Friday evening, March 20, 2020 at his home surrounded by his loving family. Born August 13, 1948 in West Reading, he was the son of the late Donald K. and Marion D. (Harpel) Bitting. His wife of 27 years, Ellen M. (Cormier) Bitting, passed away on September 13, 2014....

Mar 17, 2020

Robert W. Johns, 73, of Kutztown, passed away on Tuesday evening, March 17, 2020 at Broad Mountain Health and Rehabilitation Center, Frackville.

Born February 16, 1947 in Queens, NY, he was the son of the late William R. and Vera (Roberts) Johns.

Robert served his country honorably and faithfully in the United States Air Force...

Feb 29, 2020

Jane L. Lantz, 60, of Topton, passed away on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia. Born August 11, 1959 in Allentown, she was the daughter of the late Warren K. and Madeline G. (Wotring) Lantz. She and her husband of 29 years, James R. Springer, were married on December 29, 1990 in South Montrose, PA. Jane...

Feb 24, 2020

Barbara Ann (Sarangoulis) Boone, 87, of Reading, passed away Monday, February 24, 2020 at the Berks Heim Nursing Home. She was the wife of the late Russell Boone and mother of the late Kerry Boone. Born in Reading, Barbara was the daughter of Christ and Edna Sarangoulis. She was a graduate of Reading High School in 1951. Barbara was...