Edward J. Ghilardi Obituary
Edward J. Ghilardi 83, of Peckville, and recent resident of Willowbrook Place Senior Living Community passed away Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at Regional Hospital of Scranton. He was preceded in death by his wife Frances Cerza Ghilardi. Born in Peckville, on June 5, 1934 he was the son of the late Martin and the late Elizabeth Romanini Ghilardi He was a graduate of Blakely High School where he excelled as a baseball player.
He served in the US Army from 1957 to 1959 and again 1961 to 1962. He was employed as a Produce Manager at the Mid Valley Cash Store from 1962 to 1978 when the store closed. After attending the International Correspondence School where he majored in accounting, Ed began his second career. For more than 20 years, he was employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Sales Tax Bureau, and as Liquor Auditor with the Pennsylvania Department of the Auditor General, retiring in 1996.
Ed was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and it's Holy Name Society as well as several other community organizations, such as the Blakely-Peckville Lions Club, Committee for Special Olympics Area P, the Lackawanna River Basin Sewer Authority, where he last served as secretary, and lifetime member of the American Legion, Post 570.
In 2008, Ed was honored by The Chapel of the Four Chaplains, receiving the Legion of Honor Award, " In recognition of exceptional selfless service of an individual who contributes to the well being of his/her community and to a spirit of interfaith cooperation." He is survived by sisters in law, Eleanor Ghilardi and Theresa Cerza Fehlinger and husband James, nieces and nephews, Christine Mahalidge and husband Robert, Richard Ghilardi, Jr., and wife Kristi, Thomas Ghilardi, John Ghilardi, John Lopatka and wife Lisa, Kristi Layland and husband Marc, Trisha Mikita and husband Michael, Melissa Kompinski and husband Michael, and great nieces and great nephews and two great great nephews.
Ed loved them as his own and they loved him. He was generous to a fault and would help anyone, without being asked. Even to his friends" families, he was "Uncle Eddie." He was preceded in death, in addition to his wife, by five brothers, Silvano, Martin, Jr. , Enrico, Roger, and twin brother, Richard, as well as a niece Sharon Ghilardi Lopatka.
Ed was a sportsman and enjoyed golfing and hunting with his brothers and friends. His greatest pleasure was being with his family and many friends. For 36 years he served on the Blakely Borough Council and as President of the Council for almost 30 of those years. He retired from that seat in 2007 and was credited with bringing about numerous improvements in Blakely, most notably working to revamp the Borough owned electric company, spending about 7 million dollars in 1987 to install a new substation and entirely rewire the borough.
Ed was a proud Democrat and could be found at all fund raisers and working the polls on just about every Election Day . The family acknowledges the many friends and family who provided homemade meals and companionship to Ed during his convalescence, as well as his caregiver Romaine Trzesniowski and the staff at Willowbrook Place Senior Living Community and Regional Hospital, Scranton.
The funeral will be Monday from the James M. Margotta Funeral Home, 1019 Main St, Peckville, with mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Peckville. Interment, St. John"s cemetery, Jessup. Friends may call Sunday from 4 to 8 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions may be made to Special Olympics, Area P, P.O. Box 188, Carbondale, PA 18407 or Valley Community Library, 739 River St. Peckville, PA 18452.
For online condolences go to funeral home website.
