Charles Evanina of Franklin Township passed away peacefully from this earthly life Thursday, September 22, with his loving family by his side.
Charles was born January 4, 1928, in Keisterville, Pa., and attended Uniontown High School prior to serving his country in World War II. He at first joined the U.S. Merchant Marine until his ship, the Nathan Hale, was torpedoed off the coast of Italy. He then entered the Army and was stationed in Japan, where he was an athletic instructor and played baseball for the 8th Army Chicks.
After returning home from the war, Charles continued playing ball, and was well-known in the area as a pitcher in the Big 10 league, mostly as a member on Keister and Continental 2 teams.
Charles worked for PPG Industries in South Greensburg until retiring in his early 40s. His retirement was not an idle one. He hunted, fished and kept busy on his small but beloved farm, tending to chickens, cattle, pigs and crops.
He also was civic-minded, and in the 1970s worked to bring public water service to residents of Franklin Township. In the 1980s, along with neighbors, Charles founded the Concerned Citizens of Fayette County to fight a toxic waste dump planned for Waltersburg. He served as president of the group, which was successful in stopping the dump and was later active in other causes, most notably by opposing a countywide tax reassessment.
Besides his membership in the American Legion, Charles also belonged to the Amvets and VFW Post 47, and he enjoyed meeting friends at the Uniontown senior center.
Charles was the son of the late Michael and Barbara (Kuziak) Evanina. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters, Mary (Firmender), Julia (Zdankowski) and Anne (Schlaline), as well as two brothers, Steven and Michael.
Surviving are the love of his life, his wife, Josephine (Sova); his three devoted children: Marcia, Roxanne and Gregory; three grandchildren, Alexandra, Kevin and Hannah; his sisters Helen Dolocheck and Effie Stankovci: a brother, Frank; and many nieces and nephews.

Friends will be received in the Stephen R. Haky Funeral Home Inc., 603 North Gallatin Avenue Ext., Uniontown, Pa. 15401 on Sunday, September 25, 2016, from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. and on Monday September 26, 2016, until 9:15 a.m., when prayers of transfer will be said.

A Mass will follow at 10 a.m , in the St. John the Evangelist R.C. Church, 903 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville, Pa. 15425, with Rev. Robert Lubic as celebrant.

Interment will be held on Tuesday September 27, 2016, at 11 a.m. in The National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, 1158 Morgan Road, Bridgeville, Pa 15017.