On Thursday, October 10, 2019, Joseph Robert Lyons, 83, and Gloria Jean Lyons, 80, together entered into eternal life from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident on River Road in Jenkins Township.

Gloria was born on September 06, 1939, in Luzerne, and was raised in Swoyersville. She was the daughter of the late Stanley and Mary “Tillie” (Panetti) Stancavage.

Joseph was born on February 28, 1936, in Swoyersville, where he was raised. He was the son of the late Leonard and Elizabeth (Galanda) Lyons.

Gloria and her sister, Eileen, were children of Polish and Italian descent. Gloria was a proud graduate of the former Saint Mary’s High School, Wilkes Barre. Gloria was originally a member of the former Sacred Heart Church, Luzerne, where she attended grade school.

Joe and his late sister, Dorothy, were children of Irish and Slovak descent. Joe was a proud graduate of the former Swoyersville High School where he played football. Joe was originally a member of the former Saint John Nepomucene Church, Luzerne, where he attended grade school.

Gloria and Joe both had fathers that were coal miners and grew up in coal mining families in Swoyersville, where hard work and responsibility were first instilled as young children. They were very proud of their families and family roots. They had many interesting and funny stories of growing up in Swoyersville… too many to start writing here.

After high school, Gloria worked as a secretary for Thomas Electric Construction Co. in Kingston for approximately 10 years. She then went on to marry Joe and they started a family together in Forty Fort. After her children were in middle school and high school, she started working part-time for Keyco Food Distributor Inc., where she worked 35 years until age 77.

One of the families favorite dishes around the holidays or other times throughout the year were Gloria’s homemade meatballs (usually with rigatonis or spaghetti), and another family favorite was her “piggie balls”. The holidays were special at Nana and Pops, and they were always filled with love and laughter. Gloria loved preparing meals for her family and recently she just made her delicious meatballs to send to her grandchildren, Matthew and Michael. Gloria also prepared meals for her sister, and, in the past, she cared for her aging mother. Our Mom and Nana was a very “gentle soul” who was loved by her family, friends, and neighbors.

After high school, Joe worked for U.S. Rubber in New Jersey before enlisting in the United States Army where he was stationed at Fort Devens, Massachusetts serving with the U.S. Army Military Police (MP), receiving a Good Conduct Medal and then Honorable Discharge. After serving in the U.S Army, Joe returned to Swoyersville where he and Gloria met and fell in love. Joe then went on to work for ACME Markets Bakery in Wilkes Barre, where he made delicious pumpkin pies with nut crust. He later gained employment with Wilkes-Barre Wholesale, working there for 35 years, first as a truck driver, and then as a salesman, eventually becoming a sales manager. After retirement from Wilkes-Barre Wholesale, he continued to work part-time “semi-retired” as a Sales Representative for Northeast Pennsylvania with Rehman & Sons, Inc. for building-home products right up to present day.

Joe loved watching and rooting for the Phillies and the Eagles, along with Penn State and Temple (Gloria rooted for those teams too). Also, Joe always enjoyed attending many local high school football and basketball games, especially WVW and Holy Redeemer games throughout his life. Joe was a proud season ticket holder for both Penn State and Temple football for a number of years (probably the only one for both at the same time).

Joe was involved with the Forty Fort Little League and Fort-Swoyer Teener League baseball for many years serving as coach, manager, and President of the leagues, along with grounds keeping and umpiring for Teener League. Joe even came out of “Little League retirement” to help cut grass at the Forty Fort little league field and the Kingston – Forty Fort Jr.–Sr. league field when his grandkids, Matthew and Michael, were playing there, and he was always a big help whenever needed! Joe was a former member of the Forty Fort LIONS club as well.

Joe was an avid collector of baseball cards, coins and stamps along with other hobbies. Joe enjoyed American history especially sports history and trivia. Joe and Gloria both enjoyed reading. Joe would have a “Philly” paper saved for him daily at the Anthracite News Stand in Wilkes-Barre besides reading the local papers. Joe still bowled weekly with friends until recently. Joe went to the bakery (Bakery Delight) every Sunday for his family. Among Joe’s favorite places to visit were Hospodar’s Gas Station in Swoyersville and the White House Diner in Forty Fort – he loved having those connections with dear friends and acquaintances. Joe was on the Swoyersville High School Class of 1953 Reunion Committee. Gloria and Joe enjoyed attending class reunions and seeing friends and former classmates. Gloria and Joe enjoyed a number of bus trip vacations together throughout the years including day trips to New York City; as well as trips Maine, Georgia, South Carolina and Disney World.

Gloria and Joe, “Nana and Pop”, were loving and supportive parents and grandparents. They enjoyed going out to eat together as a “treat” occasionally. They both enjoyed meeting new people especially their children’s and grandchildren’s friends. They had a strong faith together and loved their family very much and their family loved them and even their children’s and grandchildren’s friends who knew them loved them as well. They believed in education and were very proud that their children and grandchildren were college graduates or are becoming college graduates. They enjoyed visiting their two grandsons’, Matt and Mike, at Penn State and Temple.

Gloria and Joe, “Nana and Pop”, were hard working, caring parents, and were most definitely unselfish. They thought of others before themselves, especially with their children and grandchildren. They were both so very proud and loved their two grandchildren, Matthew and Michael, very much! They loved the Jersey Shore at Wildwood, especially the trips they took there with Matt and Mike when they were very young. Gloria and Joe were thankful and loved the opportunity to see their grandchildren grow up and see them at school and sports activities. They loved attending and supporting their grandkid’s soccer, basketball and baseball games from the time the kids were 4-years old all the way through high school. This past June 6^th, 2019, Gloria and Joe celebrated together their 55^th wedding anniversary.

In addition to their parents, Joe was preceded in death by his sister, Dorothy Lyons; and Gloria was preceded in death by her brother-in-law, Jack Costello.

Surviving are their son, Joseph Lyons and his wife, Janet, Forty Fort; their daughter, Kathleen Lyons, Forty Fort; their grandchildren, Matthew and Michael Lyons; Gloria’s sister, Eileen Costello and her companion, Dave Knapp, Nanticoke; Gloria’s nieces, Janine and Sharon; as well as Gloria’s great-nephew and great-nieces.

They will be so truly missed not only by a loving family and dear friends but, by an entire community as well. 

Relatives and Friends are respectfully invited to attend a closed casket visitation for both Joseph and Gloria which will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2019, from 9:00 to 11:00 AM at Holy Family Parish, 574 Bennett Street, Luzerne.

A Mass of Christian Burial will commence at the conclusion of the visitation. The Reverend Walter E. Jenkins C.S.C., their Pastor, will officiate the Funeral Mass.

Interment with the Rite of Committal will follow in the Denison Cemetery, Swoyersville, where Military Honors will be accorded for Joseph by the United States Army.

Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Wroblewski Funeral Home, Inc., 1442 Wyoming Avenue, Forty Fort.

For additional information or to send the Lyons Family an online message of condolence, you may visit the funeral home’s website, www.wroblewskifuneralhome.com, or Facebook page.

The family will be providing flowers, so they kindly request that in lieu of floral tributes you consider making a donation in Joseph and Gloria’s memory to one of the following charities: Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; the American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839; the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 15829, Arlington, VA 22215; Good Shepherd Academy, 316 North Maple Avenue, Kingston, PA 18704; the Kingston – Forty Fort Little League; or the Swoyersville Little League.