Matthew R. Prang Sr., 90, formerly of Hershey passed away on November 8, 2018 at Cornwall Manor, Cornwall, PA. He was born December 3, 1927 in Williamsport, son of the late Adolph and Elizabeth (Mielert) Prang.

Mr. Prang was raised in Hershey and was a graduate of Hershey High School, Hershey Junior College and St. Vincent's College in Latrobe, PA. He was a United States Naval Veteran. He spent most of his adult life in Abington, Mass and various areas of Pennsylvania. He worked for Florsheim Shoe Co. as a shoe salesman and near the end of his retirement he owned his own company, Pranco, Co. in the shoe industry. He was a multifaceted individual who was a prolific painter, played the trumpet, and loved a good game of golf. But, above all he was a passionate New York Yankee baseball fan.

Matthew is survived by; his sister Mrs. Ronnnie Pronio; his children ; Veronica Giarraputo( Philip), Susan Susi ( Harry) Nora Frado ( Rick ), Ellen Prang-Naeger ( Bob ), Amy Shealer (Mike) , Matthew R. Prang Jr. ( Mandy). He also, leaves 16 Grandchildren and 21 Great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Mary C. Prang, daughter Carolyn and granddaughter Jennifer Crawford.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 11AM in St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church, 359 West Areba Ave., Hershey. The family will begin receiving guests at 10:30AM. Private interment will be in St. Agnes Cemetery in Branford CT.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to St. Joan of Arc -Heart of the Parish or Cornwall Manor Benevolent Fund, 1 Boyd St., Cornwall, PA. Hoover Funeral Homes & Crematory, Inc., of Hershey, is handling the arrangements. Send condolences via the online guest book at www.hooverfuneralhome.comwww.pennlive.com/obits

Make a contribution to St. Joan of Arc's Heart of the Parish here.

Philip M. Denci, Sr., 72, of Derry Twp., passed away at his residence on November 6, 2018. He was born May 24, 1946 in Hershey, son of the late Mario P. and Teressa (Forti) Denci.

Throughout his life, Phil was known for his appreciation of cars, trucks & equipment, and having the mechanical ability to fix just about anything. He started at a young age, working for Osterlund of Harrisburg, Lesher Mack of Lebanon and Sheridan Corp. of Reading, just to name a few. During this time period he also designed and built his own shop, became self-employed and eventually retired after many years of repairing vehicles for friends and family. Phil was a member of St. Joan of Arc Church in Hershey and served in the PA Army National Guard.

Mr. Denci is survived by a son, Philip M. (Mary Fawber) Denci, Jr. of Palmyra as well as 2 grandsons. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by sons, Anthony M. Denci and Justin Kireta and sister, Benita Ranieri.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 11AM in the Hoover Funeral Home of Hershey.  The family will begin receiving guests at 10AM.  Interment will follow in the Hershey 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. Make a donation here.

Helen C. Barhyte, 91, of Hershey, formerly of White Plains, NY & Yorktown Heights, NY, passed away on October 30, 2018 at the Ecumenical Retirement Community.
​
She was born March 24, 1927 in Carbondale, daughter of the late John and Celia Brennan. After raising her family, Helen had worked for 22 years as a teacher's aide for BOCES in Yorktown Heights.  She was a member of St. Joan of Arc Church in Hershey. 

Helen is survived by; daughter, Denise Mauz; son, Bruce Barhyte; granddaughter, Danielle (Brandon) Cooper; grandsons, Justin Mauz and Joseph Barhyte; and two great-grandsons. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, George R. Barhyte. 

Memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 11:00 AM in the Hoover Funeral Home & Crematory, 88 Lucy Ave. in Hershey.  The family will begin receiving guests at 10:00 AM.  Private interment will be in the Hershey Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial contributions be made to either: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-1942) or Celtic Hospice and Home Health (900 Century Dr #201, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055).

Bill Bratina, 89, of Hershey, passed away peacefully Sunday November 4, 2018 with his loving family by his side.

Born October 22, 1929, he was the son of the late Mary and Louis Bratina. Bill graduated from Harrisburg Catholic High School in 1948. A veteran of the Korean Conflict, he proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. Bill retired from Leroy Roofing Company as President and Chief Operating Officer. Bill was a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Hershey, the PA Sports Hall of Fame, the VFW, the American Legion, and a previous member of Colonial Country Club. Bill was a huge fan of all Philadelphia sports teams, especially his beloved Phillies.

Bill is survived by his loving wife, Janet (Milliken) Bratina, children Brenda Wolfe (William), William Bratina II, (Wendy), Kim Keefer, (Edward), Kelley Spotz, (Douglas), daughter-in-law Tammy Shaffer, fifteen grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, all of whom were the joy of his life. He is also survived by his brother, David Bratina (Brenda), sister-in-law Lois, many nieces and nephews and multiple extended family. In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his first wife Betty J. Bratina, sons Brian S. Bratina and Michael W. Shaffer, and brothers Louis, Richard and Eugene Bratina.

Bill was an accomplished golfer, competing in and winning multiple tournaments, as well as sinking seven holes in one during the years he played the game he loved. He was inducted into the PA Capital Area Hall of Fame in 1996, and competed in the U.S. Senior Amateur Open, finishing among the top sixteen in the country. Bill was very proud of this and shared it with all of his doctors, nurses, and caretakers, informing them every chance he got that they were with a "legend." The highlight of Bill's later years was playing gin with the "boys" at the club.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 12th at 11:00am in his church at 359 W. Areba Ave., Hershey. The only visitation will be held on Sunday, November 11th from 4-6pm in the Hoover Funeral Home & Crematory in Hershey. Interment will be private.

The family would like to offer a special thank you to Dr. William Bird and his dedicated staff, as well as Bill's loving caregivers at Penn State Medical Center.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Department 142, Memphis, TN 38105 and Homeland Hospice, 2300 Vartan Way, Suite 270, Harrisburg, PA 17110.

Share condolences with the family at www.hooverfuneralhome.comwww.pennlive.com/obits
​
Published on Pennlive.com and in The Patriot-News from Nov. 6 to Nov. 11, 2018

Marion Prestia, 86, passed away peacefully at home on November 5, 2018. She was the widow of Richard Prestia. She is survived by her daughter, Jo Ellen (Paul) Carnathan of Hummelstown; her son, David (Maryann) Prestia of Glen Allen, VA; her sister Evelyn (Sam) Avampato of Pittsburgh; her best friend, Joan Abaray of Pittsburgh; 6 grandchildren (Scott, Christine, Samantha, Ashley, Alex and Theo) and 7 great grandchildren.

Marion retired from Holy Spirit Hospital and was a member of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, November 10th at 11:00 am in her church at 359 West Areba Ave., Hershey. Viewing will be Friday, November 9th from 5-7pm in the Hoover Funeral Home, Hershey. Interment will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Harrisburg. The family requests that you please wear a splash of color to celebrate her joyful life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Hospice of Central PA, 1320 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg PA 17110 or to St. Joan of Arc School, 329 West Areba Avenue, Hershey PA 17033. To donate to the St. Joan of Arc School, click here.

​Share condolences at www.hooverfuneralhome.com

Carl A. Burkhart, 84, husband of Carol E. (Emrich) Burkhart, of Douglassville, Pa., and the late Phyllis E. (Troxel) Burkhart, died on Thursday, October 25, 2018, at home.

Born on December 2, 1933, in Shillington, Pa., he was the son of the late Norman and Sarah (Reed) Burkhart.
He was a graduate of Mohnton High School and Kutztown University, where he received his bachelor's degree in chemistry. He also attended Kansas University and completed his master's accreditation from other schools. He was a mathematics teacher at Phoenixville Area High School for 32 years and was chairman of the mathematics department for many years. He was a master mason and a member of Phoenixville Lodge #75 F&AM. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels and Community Visiting Nurse Services. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Phoenixville where he taught Sunday School and served on many committees. He enjoyed baking, playing cards, especially Pinochle, board games, crossword puzzles, Sudoku and watching the Flyers. Surviving are son, Keith K., husband of Christina Burkhart, of Hershey; daughter, Pamela E., wife of Gary Szilagyi, of Bloomsburg; daughter, Karla J. "KJ" Rush, of Phoenixville; stepchildren: Donna L., wife of Jack Karkoska, of Douglassville, Cathy A., wife of Patrick Penecale, of Upper Black Eddy, Beth A., wife of Bob Moore, of Pottstown, Richard N. Dietrich, friend of Megan Centeno, of Birdsboro; grandchildren: Kyle, Karly, Christopher, Vanessa, Alek, Stefan, Ryan, Rebecca, Kelli, Kimmy, Megan and Bob; great-grandchildren: Rosemarie, Joshua, Lillianna, Andre, Ashlynn, Savannah, Briana, Michael and Madison. He was preceded in death by brother, Earl R. Burkhart. He was also an uncle to many nieces and nephews. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Service at the First United Methodist Church of Phoenixville, 865 S. Main St., Phoenixville, Pa., on Saturday, November 3, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Mark Young officiating. Burial will be private in the Washington Memorial Chapel Churchyard. A viewing will be held in church on Saturday from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the First United Methodist Church of Phoenixville, 865 S. Main St., Phoenixville, PA 19460, or Meals on Wheels of Chester County, 404 Willowbrook Lane, West Chester, PA 19382, or www.mowcc.org.
​
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.GatchaFuneral.com.

Published in Reading Eagle on Oct. 30, 2018
​