Eleanor B. Hirko

Eleanor B. (Fiffick) Hirko, 91, Black Lick, PA passed away on Monday, March 29, 2021 at her home.

She was born to the late Andrew T. Fiffick, Sr., a Justice of the Peace and coal mining engineer and Anna E. (Anderko) Fiffick, a homemaker, on March 12, 1930 in Fifficktown, Cambria Co., PA.

Eleanor married Airman Edward A. Hirko, Sr. from Black Lick. She was a loving wife to him and mother of seven children.  She spent the next 22 years traveling with him to Germany, the Philippines, Japan, and numerous states, Alabama, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Washington with her ever-growing family.  She loved flower arranging, camping, the outdoors, was an avid bingo player, an occasional casino attendee and taught all of her children how to swim.

She loved God, her family and her country and raised her children to do the same in her Catholic faith.  She was immersed in her Catholic Christian community and involved in her church parish at whatever base they were stationed at in the world. They returned to Black Lick and she became an active member of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Coral site, sang in the church choir, member of the Christian Mothers, Black Lick Volunteer Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary, a voter Registrar, volunteer at St. Andrews Village, concerned neighbor and friend.

Eleanor is survived by children, Kathleen Hirko-DeSantis (Michael) of Black Lick; Michael Hirko (Sheryl) of St. Augustine, FL; David Hirko (Traci) of Nashua, NH; Elaine McQueeney (Scott) of Stafford, VA and John Hirko (Dianne) of Trent Woods, NC; 12 grandchildren, Ginger, Shannon, Andrew, Lindsey, Jessica, Theresa, Edward, Crystal, Michael, Dana, David Joshua and Allison, 17 great grandchildren, three great-great grandchildren, three sisters, Mary Amrein of Gainesville, FL; Shirley Jelliffe of Piscataway, NJ and Alicia Fox of Phoenixville and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Edward A. Hirko, Sr. in 1997, a son, Edward Hirko, Jr., a daughter, Cynthia J. Huntley, a grandson, GSgt. Michael S. McQueeney, a sister, Ethel and four brothers, John, Andrew Jr., Emil and Edward.

The family will receive friends on Friday, April 9, 2021, from 12 to 2 and 4 to 6 P.M.at the Shoemaker Funeral Home, Inc., 49 N. Walnut St., Blairsville, PA where the rosary will be recited on Friday. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, April 10, 2021, at 10:00 A.M. in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Coral Site, with Fr. John Pavlik OFM-Cap celebrant.

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

Her life was a blessing, her memory a treasure. She is loved beyond words, and missed beyond measure.

Masks and face coverings will be required and social distancing is encouraged upon entry to the funeral home, as per CDC guidelines.