All Obituaries

BOARDMAN - Chester R. Martauz, Sr., 93, passed away unexpectedly Thursday morning, Sept. 19, 2019, at his home. Chester was born June 7, 1926, in Youngstown, a son of the late Michael and Anna Martauz, and was a lifelong area resident. He was a graduate of South High School and proudly served for four years in the United States Navy during World War II. Chester was self-employed most of his life in the automotive service business, retiring from Salem Radiator in the early 1990s. After...

AUSTINTOWN - Geraldene Sandor, 87, passed away peacefully Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 18, 2019, at her home with her family by her side. Geraldene was born Aug. 3, 1932, in Washington County, Pa., and was a daughter of the late Andrew Drop Sr. and Anna Huey Drop. She was a graduate of Point Marion High School in Pennsylvania, and came to this area in the mid-1960s. Geraldene was a homemaker who also worked outside the home. From 1966 until 1974, she worked for Briel’s Flowers, and...

GIRARD - Paul E. McCourt Jr., 69, passed away Thursday morning, Sept, 12, 2019, at St. Joseph Warren Hospital, with his loving wife, Valerie, two sons, Isaac Cunningham and Michael McCourt, daughter, Jackie Squibbs, and daughter-in-law, Ashley McCourt, by his side Paul was born July 28, 1950, in Grafton, W.Va., a son of the late Paul E. Sr., and Martha June Lake McCourt, and came to this area with his family as a child. He was a 1968 graduate of Western Reserve High School and proudly...

AUSTINTOWN - John J. Hoffman, 80, passed away Wednesday evening, Sept. 11, 2019, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital after suffering a heart attack at his home. John was born March 15, 1939, in Youngstown, a son of the late Stephen and Anna Pavlik Hoffman, and was a lifelong area resident. He was a graduate of Chaney High School and proudly served in the United States Army. John later worked for General Motors at the Lordstown Plant for 30 years, retiring in 1999. He was of the Catholic...

GIRARD - Barbara Jean Barta, 74, passed away unexpectedly Sunday evening, Sept. 8, 2019, at her home. Barbara Jean was born June 30, 1945, in Youngstown, a daughter of the late Thomas G. and Eleanor McGlynn Morgan, and was a lifelong area resident. She graduated from Girard High School in 1963 and would go on to marry Peter A. Barta on Oct. 26, 1968. Together they would share 44 years of marriage and the love of their four sons, whom she dedicated her life to. Mrs. Barta was a member of...

YOUNGSTOWN - Ritchie L. Paden, 38, passed away Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, at his home. Ritchie was born Aug. 31, 1981, in Warren, and was a son of Michael and Betty Snyder Paden. He was a graduate of Howland High School, where he is on the school’s Wall of Fame for varsity wrestling. Ritchie worked for Grand Solutions in Warren for years, and most recently was a maintenance worker at Two Sisters Home in Salem. He enjoyed attending Crossroads Church, spending time with his family, and...

GIRARD - Neil Bruce Franklin, 67, passed away Wednesday evening, Sept. 4, 2019, at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital following a lengthy illness. Neil, who was known to all by his middle name, Bruce, was born April 3, 1952, in Youngstown, the first-born son of Neil and Margaret Bush Franklin, and lived in Girard all of his life. He was a 1970 graduate of Girard High School, and worked at Youngstown Sheet & Tube and later at Tamarkin Company, retiring in 2015. Bruce enjoyed watching...

YOUNGSTOWN - Ruth M. Kay, 92, of the city’s west side, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, Sept. 4, 2019, at her home with her family by her side. Ruth was born May 22, 1927, in Youngstown, and was a daughter of the late Charles and Helen Glozmek Niznik. She was a lifelong area resident and a 1945 graduate of Chaney High School. In her younger days, Ruth worked at local movie theaters, for G.M. McKelvey Co., and for a local heating & air conditioning company before...

STRUTHERS - Nelia A. Jaksetich, 90, passed away early Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 4, 2019, at St. Mary’s Alzheimer Center in Columbiana. Nelia was born Aug. 8, 1929, in The Hague, Netherlands, and was a daughter of the late Mattheus and Johanna Vlasblom Muller. She lived abroad most of her life before coming to America and Florida in 1990. Nelia moved to Youngstown from Florida in 2005 with her husband. Mrs. Jaksetich was a homemaker who also owned a hotel business in Amsterdam, and...

LOS ANGELES - Matilda Theresa Krajcirik Girardi, 101, passed away peacefully in her sleep, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019, after a long and fulfilling life. Born and raised in Western Pennsylvania, she was also formerly of Valencia and Santa Monica, California. During the final three years of her life she lived at Nazareth House Los Angeles Assisted Living, after a long illness resulting from three strokes, cancer, and lung disease. Matilda, who was known as “Terri” to friends and as...