Harry E. Panek

     Mr. Harry E. Panek, 72, a resident of Jenkins Township, passed into Eternal Life Good Friday night, April 15, 2022 as an emergency patient at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Township.
     Born on Sunday, September 18, 1949 in Wilkes-Barre, he was the only child to the late Harry A. and Lillian E. (Toluba) Panek.
     Raised in Wilkes-Barre's North End neighborhood; he was educated in the Catholic faith, being a member of the 1967 graduating class of the former Marymount High School, Wilkes-Barre.  Mr. Panek furthered his education by attaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics from King's College in 1972.
     Upon completion of his formal education and the devastation of Hurricane Agnes, he took employment with the Bureau for the Aging in Wilkes-Barre.
     Following in his father's footsteps, he then worked for two years as a merchant marine on the Great Lakes.  
     After his return to the Wyoming Valley, Mr. Panek became employed with the Inter Metro Corporation of Wilkes-Barre, where he would serve for some thirty years prior to his retirement in 2009.
     He was a member of the Parish of Saint Andre Bessette, North Wilkes-Barre.  Socially, and enjoying the outdoors that golfing affords, Mr. Panek was a twenty-five year member of the Wyoming Valley Country Club, Hanover Township.  In his spare time, he also enjoyed listening to music or watching a good movie.
     Since his youth, he and his late father were avid model train collectors.  He attended many train shows on the east coast over the years, most notably the York Train Meet.  He ran his own operating layout well into his sixties, and was a forty year member of the Train Collector Association.
     Harry also enjoyed baseball and traveling.  He and his friend Joe Popielarski were both avid Yankee fans.  He relished driving to Florida for spring training for many years, while making sure they attended professional games in New York and Baltimore, when possible.
     He was preceded in death by his father in 1987 and by his mother in 2004.  Left to cherish his memory are fellow parishioners, several cousins and dear friends; including Mr. James Wasilewski and his wife Dyann of Plains Township; their son Jason Wasilewski of Washington, D.C.; Mrs. Teresa Popielarski and her family also of Plains Township.
     Funeral services for Mr. Panek will be conducted on Saturday, April 30th with his memorial funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. in the Parish of Saint Andre Bessette, 668 North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre.  The Reverend James E. McGahagan, will serve as celebrant and homilist.
     Private entombment with the Rite of Committal will follow in the mausoleum of Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, 1594 South Main Street, Hanover Township.
     Relatives and friends are cordially invited to assemble directly at church for visitation and shared remembrances Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass.
     In lieu of floral tributes, memorial donations in Harry's memory would be greatly appreciated to Saint Joseph's Center, 2010 Adams Avenue Scranton, PA 18509 or online at stjosephscenter.org.
     The John V. Morris Family Funeral Home Inc., 625 North Main Street, is honored to care for Mr. Panek and his friends at this time.  

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