Clara Joan Covage, 93, of Hershey, passed away on January 26, 2021 in the Hershey Medical Center.

She was born July 4, 1927 in Pottsville, daughter the late of Frank and Mary Hertley Purcell.
Clara graduated from Pottsville Area High School and Cosmetology School.  She was a self-employed beautician and worked for the H.B. Reese Candy Co. and was also a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.   She was a wonderful mother and grandmother. Clara enjoyed shopping, dining at restaurants and trips to the hair and nail salon.

Clara is survived by; son, Charles F. (wife, Linda) Covage and granddaughters, Chelsea and Cassie Covage.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Covage.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, February 3, from 10:30-11:30AM in the Hoover Funeral Home of Hershey.  Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 12 Noon in St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey.  Interment will be in the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to: Heart of the Parish Fund, c/o St. Joan of Arc Church, 359 W. Areba Ave. Hershey, PA 17033.
 

​Richard "Beans" Baiocchi 91, a lifelong resident of Hershey, passed away on January 22, 2021 in the Hershey Medical Center. Born November 10, 1929, he was the son of the late Guy and Ida (Sovani) Baiocchi. Richard graduated from Hershey High School Class of '47 and was a U.S. Marine Veteran of the Korean War. He received two Purple Hearts and a Gold Star. He was a member of the 2nd Marine Division; Disabled American Veterans; Order of the Purple Heart; Marine Corps League of Hummelstown; St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church; Hershey Historical Society and the Hershey Italian Lodge. Richard was a 2014 inductee into the Hershey High School Sports Hall of Fame and a member of the Central PA Sports Hall of Fame. He was the Grand Marshall of the Hershey Memorial Day parade in 2010. He loved nice cars, home landscaping, going out to dinner and family gatherings. Richard is survived by his wife of 63 years, Norma (Paponetti) Baiocchi; sons: Gregory P. Baiocchi (wife, Sharon), Jeffrey R., Baiocchi, Thomas E. Gingrich, (wife, Vicki), and Terrence P. Gingrich, wife, Mindy); seven grandchildren and four great grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by siblings, Jean Baiocchi, Amelia Sostaric and Thomas Baiocchi. Private services, due to COVID-19, will be held at the Hoover Funeral Home of Hershey. Interment with military honors will be in the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to Disabled American Veterans - www.ihelpveterans.org Send condolences via the online guest book at www.hooverfuneralhome.com www.pennlive.com/obits

Hoover Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. of Hershey

Marcial DeJesus

(April 16, 1940 - January 12, 2021)

Marcial DeJesus, 80, of Hummelstown, passed away on January 12, 2021 at the Hershey Medical Center. He was born April 16, 1940 in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, son of the late Robustiano DeJesus and Petronila Figueroa DeJesus. He was a retired Dauphin County Deputy Sheriff and member of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Marcial is survived by his wife, Marta (Arzuaga) DeJesus; daughters, Blanca Kristich, Melinda Rosado, Debra Biddington, Mirna DeJesus, Nancy Stump, Lisa Torres, Ivette Diaz, and Tina Diaz; son, Samuel Rosado, Jr.,; seventeen grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

Interment and services will be private at the Hershey Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 897, Hershey PA 17033
 
 

Robert "Bob" John Coleman
(February 05, 1964 - January 10, 2021)
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Robert J. Coleman, 56, of Elizabethtown, PA passed away peacefully on January 10th after a courageous battle with cancer.

Robert (Bob) was born on February 5th, 1964 to Robert and Barbara Coleman in New Jersey.  He was raised in Scotch Plains, the second youngest of five siblings.  Growing up, Bob and his family enjoyed spending summers at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.  A  talented baseball player, he earned the great privilege of playing in the 1979 Babe Ruth Baseball National World Series in Arizona, which was attended by teams from across the nation.  As devout Catholics, his family attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scotch Plains, where Bob was an Altar Server. He graduated from Union Catholic High School and went on to attend college at The University of Central Florida. 

Upon graduating, he moved back to New Jersey to begin working in hotel management, which parlayed into a successful sales career.  He was quiet and reserved, a man of few words many would say; but when it came to sales he was truly a go-getter.  Throughout his career, he formed lasting and valuable business relationships, consistently surpassing everyone’s expectations.   

He met his wife, Laurie, over 30 years ago and they raised their family together in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Laurie’s hometown.  Bob was an avid and skilled golfer, often seen on the links with his golfing buddies.  He was a dedicated and loyal friend, enjoying competitive games of pinochle, bocce ball and corn hole, among other parlor games.  Those who knew him understood his passion for sports, especially when the Jets and Yankees were playing. He was the owner of the iconic Mazzoli Ice Cream shop in Hershey for many years and just recently became the co-owner of The Good Life ice cream shop in Lancaster.

Bob attended St. Joan of Arc church in Hershey, leading a life that was guided by his faith. Above all else, family was of utmost importance to Bob.  Spending time with Laurie, his two daughters, his son-in-laws and three grandchildren was by far his favorite pastime.

Bob is predeceased by his father, Robert Coleman; his brother, Michael Coleman and his Uncle, Thomas Donegan.  He is survived by his wife, Laurie Coleman; his daughters Amy (Michael) Oeschger and Shelli (Marquis) Jones; his mother Barbara Coleman; his aunt, Lois Donegan; his siblings Karen (Ricky) Adams, Thomas (Rhonda) Coleman, and Steven (Diane) Coleman; his sister-in-law Cynthia (Richard) Stewart; his nieces and nephew, Ashley Coleman, Emily Coleman, Hannah Coleman, Christopher Coleman, Lauren Coleman, Emilie Stewart and Lynne Stewart;  and his three grandchildren, Max Oeschger, Charlotte Oeschger, and Lola Jones. 

A church service and celebration of life will be planned at the discretion of the family at a later date once social gatherings are deemed safe again.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Bob’s memory to St. Jude's Hospital for Children, as this is a charity that he supported for many years.  

​Joseph Anthony "Tony" Ercole of Hershey PA and Lakeland FL died on December 26, 2020 as a result of Covid 19. Tony was born in Windber, PA. on June 10th, 1931. He was preceded in death by his parents, Erminio and Albina, and brothers Ermie and Julias.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Tressa (Baughman), and their five children: Charles (Courtney) of Philadelphia; Lynne (Rich Edwards) of Hershey; Michael (Karen) of Fairfax Station,Va; Gregg (Shannon) of West Chester, PA; and Eric of Altamonte Springs, Fla; nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Tony served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War; and later graduated from Penn State University.  He graduated from Windber High School,and was later inducted into the Windber Hall of Fame in 1995 for outstanding contributions to the PA Coal Mining Industry. Tony spent more than 25 years in public service, retiring in 1983 from the Department of Environmental Resources, as Director of the Bureau of Mining and Reclamation. After retirement from government service, Tony then retired as the President of the PA Coal Association in 1996.

Having grown up in a coal mining town, and having worked in mines himself, Tony’s career was largely focused on regulatory and technical improvements for the PA coal mining industry. As a result, he served on many State and National Boards, sharing his expertise.

Tony spent countless hours attending his children’s many sporting and life events, and later in life could be found cheering on his grandchildren; he loved nothing more than an Ercole family get together. After retirement, he and Tressa spent their winters in Lakeland, Florida at their home on the 10th Tee of Schalamar Creek.
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The Ercole Family would like to thank the staff at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center for their impeccable care and kindness during this difficult time.

A Celebration of Life will be announced in 2021.

Anthony was a member of St Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey for more than 50 years. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Heart of the Parish Fund, C/O St. Joan of Arc Church, 305 West Areba Avenue, Hershey PA 17033 WEAR A MASK !

​Gilbert E. Petrina, 86, of Elizabethtown, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 18, 2020. He was an Attorney-at-Law and former member of the Pennsylvania Air National Guard retiring as a Brigadier General after 30 years of military service.

Gilbert was an optimist who found joy and laughter in everything. A warrior by nature, he was a man of faith and service, an avid reader, and curator of fine-arts and antiquities. His proudest achievement was his family legacy – his wife of 55 years, his four children and their spouses (all current or retired Air Force officers, and one Naval officer) and nine loving grandchildren.

Gilbert was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on 29 July 1934, the second of nine children, to the late Stephen J. and Veronica (Kosevic) Petrina. He attended the University of Maryland, graduating in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Arts, and was commissioned as an Air Force Second Lieutenant. He served overseas as a Communications Officer in Kumejima (Okinawa, Japan); and stateside in Omaha, Nebraska at Strategic Air Command Headquarters. He separated active duty, joined the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and attended Dickinson Law School, receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1965.

Gilbert had a successful law practice and made major contributions in civic affairs. He was a member of the Dauphin County Bar Association; he was president and chairman of million-dollar construction campaigns for the American Red Cross and Goodwill Industries, and he was involved with the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. He was an active member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and served the community as a member and leader in several other organizations including the Air Force Association, the Croatian Fraternal Union and the Knights of Columbus. He was an avid beach goer at his favorite fishing club, Harvey Cedars, where he developed his inspiration for the Petrina Kayak Club.

Surviving are; his wife, Rosanne (Marinari) Petrina; four children, Gilbert E. (Carolyn) Petrina, Jr., Julie (William) Curlin, Jenifer (Heath) Bope, Amy (Kurt) Kremser; nine loving grandchildren, (Kelley, Elisa, Madison, Emily, Mitchell, Alexander, Katherine, Lukas and Amelia); two brothers, Stephen and John (Vickie); three sisters, Dorothy Tarlecki, Martha (Scott) Williamson, Mary (Thomas) Butcher; sisters-in-law, Nancy and Carol Petrina, Sandy Marinari, and Anna Bruno; and, numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister Dolores Klipa and two brothers, Phillip, and most recently Bernard who passed away the same day, nine hours prior.

Gilbert was referred to by his family and friends as ‘Gib’, and by his kids and grandkids as ‘Chief’. He was the head of the tribe and always had a story to tell, with a lesson to be learned, critical thinking to be applied or legal tactic to be employed. He built memories to last a lifetime at the family home, codenamed ‘the Farm’; years of celebrations, one family wedding, years of birthday parties, and Christmas festivities with all the kids, sometimes delayed as one or more of his children were deployed overseas.

Chief never went anywhere without interrogating everyone he met, asking them where they grew up, where they went to college, or about their goals and aspirations. He gave it all with gusto, his mission for the past six years was to fight cancer, telling his team of brilliant Doctors to “try everything, give him whatever it takes” to help medical science, with the added benefit to enjoy life with his family, watching his grandchildren grow. His nine grandchildren run their own race and take care of each other as if they are brothers and sisters, his favorite saying was “Cousins are Fun!” His intent was to buy them all horses and airplanes – in the end, he chose to give them kayaks, with a special inscription to each one of them – his legacy will live on with the next-generation of fire starters, astronomers and adventurers.

His focus was on faith, family, and ‘the Farm’ – the Earthly paradise, where he loved to bring the group together to enjoy the sunsets around a fire, telling stories or counting stars and calling out the constellations. Telling his kids and grandkids how amazing God is, to have put us on this tiny little planet called Earth – and “knowing God has something amazing in store for us after we leave this planet.”

A private service will be held at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey and he will be buried with full military honors at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. A Celebration of Life to recognize the lives of both Gilbert and his brother Bernard (‘Jim’) will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Gilbert’s honor to Penn State Cancer Institute of Research, Office of University Development, 1249 Cocoa Ave, Suite 115, P.O. Box 852, Hershey, PA 17033-0852 or to Grane Hospice, 1200 Camp Hill Bypass Suite 205, Camp Hill, PA 17011. The family sincerely thanks the Traditions of Hershey staff for their exceptional care and kindness during the challenges of 2020.

Gilbert was fondly known to make the best of any challenging situation. When confronted with challenges, he inevitably would find joy, laughter and the silver lining – raise a glass with those you love, and find joy and laughter living every moment. Carpe Diem!