Obituary of Ronald E. Mahalko

MAHALKO Ronald E. Bird, 69, Nanty Glo, died March 22, 2015. Born Jan. 16, 1946, in Nanty Glo, son of the late Steve and Mary (Stoyka) Mahalko. Preceded in death by brother, Ed, and his wife, Darlene, and sister-in-law, Debbie Gongloff. Survived by wife of 46 years, the former Jo Ann Soulsby, Nanty Glo; children, Steve (Greta) Mahalko, Los Angeles, Calif.; Sunny Lynn (Erik) Proper, Mechanicsburg; and Greg Mahalko (Shannon Link), Ebensburg; grandchildren, Blue Brooke and Lolli Day Proper and Samantha, Serine, Jace and Summer; brothers-in-law, John (Connie) Soulsby and Jim (Brenda) Soulsby, all of Ohio; Michael Gongloff, Nanty Glo; David (Sharon) Benzel, Ukraine; and many nieces and nephews. Member of St. Mary s Church. Worked for U.S. Steel and the Ebensburg Center. Served as a U.S. Marine in the Vietnam War, where he earned a Purple Heart. Ron was the first paramedic of the Blacklick Valley Ambulance Association. He was a life member of Nanty Glo Fire Company. Member of the Cambria, Western, Central and State firemen s associations, Nanty Glo Legion and Ebensburg VFW. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Bowser-Ondriezek Funeral Home, Nanty Glo, where Nanty Glo Fire Company will hold service at 6 p.m. and funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Father Leonard Voytek. Interment, St. Mary s Cemetery. Veterans service will be held by local veterans organizations.