Andrew Barilla Jr., right, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright take time for photos following a ceremony renaming a park in honor of Barilla on June 29, 2019. Barilla has died at the age of 83.
Times Leader file photo
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Longtime district magistrate Andrew Barilla Jr. has passed away. He was 83.
Barilla, a lifelong resident of Swoyersville, served as a magisterial district judge for 30 years, along with a decade as a borough council member in his hometown.
Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough said Thursday that Barilla’s passing is a staggering loss for the area.
“It’s a tremendous loss for Luzerne County, and a tremendous loss for the judiciary,” Vough said.
Vough, who would occasionally appear before Barilla in his early career as an attorney, said that Barilla was well-known for his fair legal judgments.
“He treated everyone with respect,” Vough went on. “He was a gentleman, someone who took public service to heart.”
Christopher Concert, mayor of Swoyersville, remembered Barilla in a post on his Facebook page.
“Today our town lost a great man,” Concert wrote. “He was a man who dedicated his life to serving and giving and helping others.
“He will be missed not only by our community but by the entire Westside,” Concert went on.
The borough of Swoyersville recently renamed the former Slocum Street Park in Barilla’s honor last year, in recognition of Barilla’s efforts in making the park a reality.
The day on which the park was rededicated, June 29, 2019, was named Andrew Barilla Jr. Day.