Jun 28, 2011 2 min read

John Charles VonBenko, age 90, of Connellsville, Pa., passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 26, 2011 in the Uniontown Hospital.

He was born December 3, 1920 in Messmore, Pa the son of the late Charles Benko and Mary Berdar Benko.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Nikki Laskey VonBenko; his loving daughter, Theodora Lynn Fischer; sisters: Ann Nagy and Nikki Sohida; brothers: Mike and Charles Benko.

John was a member of St. George Maronite Catholic Church and a 1939 graduate of the former German Township High School. He was a mine foreman at the Isabella Mine and worked since 1989 at Laurel House Inc. He was a general member of the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame. John was a huge sports fan.

He is survived by his loving son, George A. VonBenko of Connellsville; his loving companion, Pat Rogers of Uniontown and her children: Mary Beth Bobich and husband Mark of Carmichaels and their children: Annie Oravets and husband Jim and their daughters Lyla and Jennifer Bobich; Jack Rogers and wife Tracy of New Salem and their children: Gina, Sarah and Rachel; John’s grandchildren: Rebecca Adams and husband Lenny of Saltsburg, Pa., Coe Fischer and Ian Fischer both of Uniontown; great grandchildren Christopher Hanzes, Ashley Hanzes, Alyssa Adams and Cora Fischer; sisters: Mary Crackovich of Uniontown, Helen Fiedor of Uniontown, Catherine Markel of Willowick, Ohio, Teresa Gehring of North Carolina and Leda Hathaway of Mt. Ariel, Pa; brother, Steve Benko of Uniontown; sister-in-law, Carolyn Benko of Ohio; several loving nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Friends will be received in the KEZMARSKY FUNERAL HOME, 71 Pennsylvania Avenue, Uniontown today, June 28 2011 from 3 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday morning until 9:30 when prayers of transfer will be said followed by Divine Liturgy at 10 a.m. in St. George Maronite Catholic Church with Rev. Father Nadim Helou, M.L.M. as celebrant.

Entombment follows in the Sylvan Heights Cemetery.

Service of Ghinnaz at 3 p.m. and Parish Rosary at 3:30 p.m. today in the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Uniontown Public Library, Jefferson Street, in John’s memory.