Community mourns tragic deaths of Zwerver, Yourchick
Days after a farm tractor accident that occurred in Jefferson Township early morning on June 14 claimed the lives of two Greene County residents, those who knew and loved them continued to express grief and shock over the tragic deaths. Leah Abbe Zwerver, 23, of Waynesburg and Steven James Yourchik II, 20, of Pitt Gas were killed when a farm tractor they were operating rolled on top of them.
They were pronounced dead at the scene at 6:35 a.m. by Greene County Deputy Coroner Mary Lewis.
State police said Yourchick and Zwever were with two other people driving a truck off-road in a grassy field along Pitt Gas Road when the truck became stuck. Yourchik and Zwerver walked to the Yourchik residence, where they got the farm tractor to pull the truck out of the mud, according to police.
Zwerver was sitting with Yourchick on the tractor as they drove to the truck; while traveling up a steep hill at around 5:30 a.m., the tractor rolled over and on top of the victims, claiming their lives, police said.
Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department and EMS Southwest ambulance personnel responded to the scene.
State police are continuing to investigate the accident.
In a testament to the lives led by Zwerver and Yourchik, there has been an outpouring of acknowledgement of their contributions to the community from those who came into contact with them.
Leah Abbe Zwerver
Leah Abbe Zwerver was remembered by many as an intelligent, compassionate and outstanding young woman who had contributed much to the world around her.
“For people who may not have known Leah, or did not get the chance to get to spend time with her, I want them to know that after ten minutes of speaking with her, she was your friend instantly,” said life-long friend and neighbor Lydia Glass. “She was a beautiful, passionate, and creative person. The thing I will remember the most is her positive outlook on life and her compassion for others.”
Glass, who is an only child, viewed Zwerver and her sister Shea like the sisters that she never had.
A homemade birthday card sent from Zwerver to Glass for Glass’s last birthday sits upon her desk next to a picture of her and her friend.
“Every birthday or holiday my mom and I could always count on one of the Zwerver’s homemade cards. The one I received on my birthday this past year is one I will treasure forever,” Glass said. “It was signed, ‘Friends Forever.'”
On a professional level, those who knew Zwerver seemed to affirm what Glass already knew, that Leah Zwerver didn’t know a stranger.
“I could not have asked for a more beautiful, caring, compassionate and devoted teacher to work with,” said Dianne Kayla, assistant principal at Waynesburg Central Elementary School. “She just lit up a room with her smile and always looked for the good in everyone. She cared deeply about every child that she came into contact with.”
Kayla remembered Zwerver as being the type of teacher to always go the extra mile and one who gave special attention to students in need.
“She was just beautiful inside and out,” Kayla said. “She was going to make a difference in the world and she did in the short time she was here.”
In addition to her work as a substitute art teacher in the Central Greene School District, Zwerver was working as a graduate assistant at Waynesburg University where many watched her grow up. Zwerver’s mother, Pamela Abbe, has worked for the university for more than two decades, most of Zwerver’s lifetime.
“Like her mother, she was an extremely vibrant and caring person,” said Richard “Skip” Noftzger, Senior Vice-President for Educational Services at Waynesburg University. “She had a bright future ahead. It is a real tragedy. She made such an impact on her family and friends and everyone around her, there is no doubt that she would have made an impact on many other people’s lives.”
As a graduate assistant, she is remembered by Barb Kirby – the director of the center for economic development at Waynesburg University – as someone who was beyond her years.
“She was able to garner such professional respect that people sometimes forgot that she was a student. She became such an integral part of our team,” Kirby said. “I watched Leah grow up and then come back here looking for her niche and where she could make a difference and feel like she was contributing. She was bright and enthusiastic and a breath of fresh air, with such a grace about her. “
As a volunteer and adoptee for the Humane Society of Greene County she is remembered showing compassion for the animals from the time she was a little girl coming in with her mother who served on the board of directors.
“She was a lovely, caring person. In the last several weeks she was coming in regularly [to the Humane Society] with her mother,” recalled Jane Gapen, director of the Humane Society of Greene County. “She was very concerned about the animals being placed. I will remember her as someone that contributed to the world. It is a shame the world had to lose her so young. She was someone that you don’t want to lose.”
Steven James Yourchik II
Steven James Yourchik II, known to friends and family as “Big Steve,” is remembered for his easygoing nature, big smile and his physique. Yourchik, a standout football player at Jefferson-Morgan High School, towered over the opposition at 6-5 and 350 pounds, playing on both sides of the football. On the field, #77 Yourchik was respected and feared. Off the field, he was a friend to many of the same players that came up against him. They weren’t Maples or Mikes or Rockets to Yourchik, they were friends.
As with Zwerver’s memorial service, there were hundreds of community members who came to say goodbye to Yourchik; among them were many of the athletes that Yourchik played with and/or faced on the football field.
Drew Denham, another standout football player who was among those to play against Yourchik, became quick friends with him.
“It is hard to put into words how great of a guy Steve was. He was a gentle giant. You have friends in your life and close friends and then there are those friends who no matter when you need them, if it is three in the afternoon or three in the morning they are right there,” Denham said. “Steve was one of those guys. He was one of the nicest, kindest, all-around great people that I’ve ever met. He will be truly missed by me, my brothers, his family and friends and everyone he made an impression on. I’m sure he’ll be smiling down on us from time to time.”
Yourchik’s Rocket teammate Brad Pelligrini said that he and Yourchik had gotten together just a couple of weeks ago and the former football players from their team tried to do that at least a couple of times a year. According to Pelligrini, what he will always remember most about his friend was his sense of humor.
“We played for five or six years together and there was never a dull moment with Steve. He was always finding a way to make things funny,” Pelligrini said. “He helped keep our heads up when things weren’t going our way. He was a beast of a man but he was someone who would never hurt a fly…he was just a gentle guy for as big as he was.”
Seeing the throngs of players, community members, and local officials waiting in line to pay their respects for Yourchik wasn’t a surprise to Yourchik’s former football coach at Jefferson-Morgan, Jan Haiden.
“I’ve always taught the kids about family, pride and unity. We talk about that every day and you saw that today, not only from our team but from the whole community,” Haiden said. “That isn’t some anecdote that some coach wrote a long time ago, it is our own and it showed today.”
Haiden described his former all-star as a hard worker with a wonderful sense of humor.
“When you think of Stevie the first thing that comes to mind is laughter. He would always make you laugh. He was just that kind of kid, joyful and funny,” Haiden said. “If you talk to the kids they will say he was a redneck farmer. He would do everything you asked of him on the field and then go home and take care of his cows, fields and hay. He was a worker.”
Jake Blaker, director of the Greene County Department of Recreation, remembered Yourchik who worked for the department of recreation as a high school student.
“He was such a nice young man. He was a good worker. He did his job and you never had any problems with him. He was just a huge boy. If you would have had any problems, you’d be afraid to say anything to him,” Blaker said with a laugh.
That was something that friends, family and acquaintances all remembered about Yourchik, his “larger than life” stature. Ironically, there were those who called him ‘Little Stevie’ as he fell in line after his grandfather Steve Sr. and father Steve Jr. However, there was nothing small about this young man, whether it be his height, his arms or his heart.
“Our families have been life-long friends,” recalled Greene County Commissioner Pam Snyder. “Stevie and my daughter, Maddie, were very close and even went to a couple of formals together in high school. He was just a bundle of love, this really big kid who everyone … thought was indestructible but was just a teddy bear inside. We loved him a lot.”
Recounting his helping nature, whether it was to cut someone’s grass or bale their hay, Snyder said that Yourchik was just a vibrant presence that will leave a void in many lives.
Jefferson-Morgan Administrative Assistant Pat Shaffer remembered Yourchik as a ‘likeable, silly, goofy, nice kid who made everyone smile and who drove his tractor to school on farmer’s day.”