Our beloved William "Pappy" Menarcheck found eternal rest on Friday, September 24th.  He went peacefully surrounded by love and family.  He was 95 years old and it still somehow feels too soon.

Pap was a survivor. Born in 1926, he lived through the Great Depression; served in the Navy in the South Pacific during WWII; and worked in the coal mines for decades until his retirement. He suffered the unimaginable loss of his oldest son, his namesake, in a 1994 plane crash and lost his wife 2 years later to complications of a broken heart.  We know that she went ahead to be with their son and he stayed behind to take care of all of us.  For that, we are grateful.

Through it all, he never lost his kindness or ability to find joy in life.  He was fun.  He was a legend.  He was an inductee into the Pennsylvania Big 10 Baseball Hall of Fame.  Even in his late 80s, he could beat anyone at corn hole - like a boss.

He worked hard and loved his family fiercely.  He got all four of his children through college and danced with them at their weddings.  He was just so proud of them.

He was an outstanding and involved grandfather.  One year after he had retired, he drove all of his grandchildren to/from school (becoming affectionately known as Papxi the Taxi).  He cheered at his grandchildren's sporting events and he celebrated all of their milestones.  He also danced at their weddings - the life of the party really - and in 2006 he was promoted to the rank of great grandfather.  He was very excited to meet his great grandchildren, and they adored him.

Pap leaves behind his broken-hearted children Pamela Neill (Leonard), Theresa Wadsworth (Donald) and Jerome Menarcheck (Cindy); grandchildren; and great grandchildren - two of whom carry his name; along with a brother and many nieces and nephews.  He leaves behind countless friends and loved ones because no matter where he went, he easily turned strangers to friends.  If you knew him, you loved him.  He just had that way about him.

We will always miss hearing Pap laugh as he told us his stories and seeing that mischievous twinkle in his brilliant blue eyes.  And while we mourn him here, we are comforted by the fact that he is rejoined with his beautiful wife Millie, his son Bill, his parents, sisters and brother and all the others who've gone before him.  We imagine it is quite a party in heaven tonight with lots of dancing.  We sure hope God likes polkas.

We love you Dad/Pap.

We'd like to give a special thanks to the caretakers - private caregivers Denise and Pam as well as Georgina from Newson's Home Care - who looked after Pap with great care and Amedisys Home Health and Hospice who saw him (and us) through his final days.

Viewing will be held at the Stephen R. Haky Funeral Home, 603 N. Gallatin Ave. Ext. Uniontown on Tuesday from 4-8 PM where a Blessing Service will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 AM. Interment to follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Hopwood with full military honors to be accorded.. Your personal written tributes and memories are welcome and encouraged at www.hakyfuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Catholic War Veterans or the AMVETS in his memory.