Stephen W. (Piurkoski) Parnell

LAUREL, MD. – Stephen W. (Piurkoski) Parnell, 101, formerly of Youngstown, passed away Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, following a brief illness and a long and fulfilling life.

Stephen was born Aug. 1, 1917, in Hubbard, the second of 10 children born to Walter and Helen Petrovsky Piurkoski, both immigrants from the country of Poland.

He graduated from Hubbard High School in 1934 and joined the Civil Conservation Corp (CCC) after graduation, stationed in Washington State where he helped build roads and bridges. He later joined the U.S. Army during World War II, training as a radio technician, which fueled a lifelong passion for fixing radios. Steve proudly served in the Army’s oldest armored unit, the 66th Armored Regiment, in Africa, Italy, and Belgium for four years, under the command of General George Patton.

After his honorable discharge from the military, Steve briefly moved to California. He married Mary Skook in 1951 and moved back to Ohio in 1952. That same year the couple’s only child, Katherine, was born.

After many temporary jobs, Steve was hired by Youngstown Sheet & Tube, from where he retired after 23 years of service.

After his retirement, Steve and Mary moved into the Brandywine Apartments in Cornersburg, where the couple spent many enjoyable years and had many friends. Steve became active in the Ohio Genealogical Society, with one of his goals to find his Polish relatives and ancestors, and he enjoyed listening to polka music and playing bingo. His life’s motto was “keep moving.”

Mr. Parnell lived most of his life in this area, but moved to Maryland in January of 2018, when he was 100 years old, to be near his daughter.

Steve leaves his daughter, Katherine (Bert) Peacock of Laurel; three granddaughters, Alexandra (Ted) Scarpnick of Portland, Ore., Calli Peacock (Shreyus Kulkarni) of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Pauline Peacock, currently studying in Cambridge, England; two great-grandchildren, Joshua and Juniper Scarpnick; three sisters, Helen (Frank) Sansota of Hubbard, Nellie Leeson of Austintown, and Blanche Rudy of Calimesa, Calif.; and two brothers, Stanley Parnell of Virginia Beach and Lawrence Piurkoski of Lake  Worth, Fla.

Steve was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; two sisters, Frances Stare and Mary Wright; and two brothers, Felix Parnell and John Piurkoski.

Family and friends may call from noon to 1 p.m., Monday, Jan. 21, at Kinnick Funeral Home, 477 N. Meridian Rd., Youngstown, where funeral services will follow at 1 p.m.

Committal services will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Youngstown, where Steve will be laid to rest next to his wife.

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