John Mytrysak

John Mytrysak, 90, of Blairsville, PA passed away on Saturday, September 24, 2016.

John was the last surviving member of the Mytrysak family of 12.  He was born June 27, 1926 in Luciusboro, the son of Paul and Catherine (Urban) Mytrysak.

He married Mary Ann Gaston in 1952 and together they had two daughters, Carol A. (Dan) Brennan and Annie Lonetti, and a son, John.  Also, surviving are three grandchildren, Annie (Bernard) Pynos, Eric (Jerry) Sobota and Eddie Sobota and four great-grandchildren, Isabel, Abby, Ashley and Jacob Pynos and many special nieces and nephews.

He was a member of St. Mary’s Holy Protection Byzantine Catholic Church, Homer City, where he was very active for many years making nut rolls and perogies.  He was an active member of UMWA Local #488, Lucernemines. He was a member of BPOE #406 and VFW Post #5821, both of Blairsville, American Legion Post #0493, Homer City, Red Barn Sportsman’s Club and Coral-Graceton Sportsman’s Club.

John enlisted in the US Army during WWII. He was in Hitler’s house in Berchesgaden in the Austrian Alps and spoke of his adventures to the students at Blairsville schools.

He was a retired coal miner having had 43 years of employment with R & P Coal Company.

John rode his bicycle backwards up the hills of Luciusboro when he was a boy, and took that hobby up again 65 years later.  He was often spotted riding backwards on the Ghost town trail and around the country roads he loved in Grafton.

He was the first man elected to the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame in two sports, baseball and pool.  He won four gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the PA Senior Olympics and 46 other tournaments.  He was a left-handed pitcher in the R&P baseball league in the 1940’s and 1950’s.  Leo Durocher observed John’s famous drop pitch. In 1949 he was drafted by the NY Giants and became a professional baseball player.
Later in life, he enjoyed billiards with his friends at the Chestnut Hills Social Center.

He was an avid hunter and got 23 bucks with a bow and arrow, he loved playing polkas, making polka CDs for his friends, playing the harmonica, violin and accordion, and dancing the polka.  He loved traveling on cruises, vacations in the Caribbean, boating on Lake Raystown and working in his garden.  His friends and family looked forward to enjoying his delicious tomatoes every summer.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Mary Ann (Gaston) Mytrysak in 1994; second wife, Doris Ida (Conaghan) Mytrysak in 2010; six brothers, infant John, Joseph, Stanley, Frank, Mike and Stephen; five sisters, Mary Mytrysak, Ann Conners, Rose Dudas, Vi Zeransky and Louise Burda; two sons-in-law, Edward Sobota and John Lonetti and a brother-in-law, Rudy Gaston.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 P.M. Monday at the Shoemaker Funeral Home, Inc., 49 N. Walnut St., Blairsville, PA.  A Panachida service will be held in the funeral home at 9:15 A.M. Tuesday followed by a funeral Liturgy at 10:00 A.M. in St. Mary’s Holy Protection Byzantine Catholic Church, Homer City, PA with Fr. Jerome G. Botsko, celebrant.

Interment will be in SS Simon & Jude Cemetery, Blairsville, PA.

Military services will be accorded by Blairsville VFW Post #5821 and American Legion Post #0407.