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John E. Jayson

June 11, 2009

John E. Jayson, 88 of Gino Merli Veterans Center died Thursday morning, June 11, at the Mercy Hospital. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eleanor Gilbert who died in 1970.

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Born April 17, 1921, he was the son of the late Frank and Mary Bigar Jayson. He was a member of Our Lady of the Abingtons Church in Dalton. Prior to his retirement he was employed by the Tobyhanna Army Depot and Timmins Airport Security, Timmins, Ontario Canada

He was a veteran of World War II serving as a Staff Sergeant. Stationed in England, he was an Aerial Engineer and Gunner on a B-17G in the U.S. 8th Air Force. On his 13th mission over Germany his plane was shot down and was a prisoner of war for 14 months. After his liberation, he received the air medal with oak leaf cluster and the Purple Heart.

John was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great- grandfather. A pleasant man, he always had a joke to tell and a kind word. He was a friend to everyone he encountered. He liked to play his guitar, sing and dance. He was an avid fisherman.

Surviving is a daughter Cathy M. Petherick and her husband, Jacque “Skip”, Dalton; four grandchildren. He was very close to his granddaughter Melissa Crook and her husband, Scott and his grandson, Michael Petherick and his wife, Kelly.

He especially liked spending time with his great -grandsons, Hunter, Will, Carter and Jake.

He was also preceded in death by six sisters, Margaret Karnafel, Anna Nowalk, Josephine Hendrex, Lucy Osborne, Frances Banick and Mary Conrad; two brothers Vincent and Frank.

The family would like to sincerely thank the staff at the Gino Merli Veterans Center for their kindness and loving care they provided John and the family.

A Mass of Christian burial was held on Saturday from Our Lady of the Abingtons, Dalton. Interment will be in St. Catherine’s Cemetery, Moscow .

Arrangements from the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home, 418 S. State St., Clarks Summit.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Our Lady of the Abingtons Church, 700 W. Main St., Dalton, PA, 18414.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lawrenceyoungfuneralhome.com.