Verna L. Hoffman, age 77, passed away on August 13, 2020, after a sudden illness. FULL ARTICLE

Larry J. Pentz, 57, DuBois, passed away Sunday, August 9, 2020, as the result of a motorcycle accident. FULL ARTICLE

Dakota J. Allen, age 21, of Altoona, PA, formerly of DuBois, PA, died Monday, August 10, 2020. FULL ARTICLE

Mary Lou Gourley was granted her angel wings, August 6, 2020, at the age of 80 when she lost her battle with cancer. Her final days were spent with family and friends that she touched in some small way throughout her life. FULL ARTICLE

Esther Smith Mercatoris, 88, passed away peacefully at Laurelbrooke Landing in Brookville, PA, on August 5, 2020. Born in Brookville on January 15, 1932, she was the third child of Ethel Johnson Smith and Hudson Dow Smith, a sister to Hudson Dow Smith Jr. and Ellen Smith Stoner. After the untimely death of her beloved brother, her last year in high school, she was persuaded to leave home by a school advisor for further education at Grove City College. While there, she was involved in theater and would later tell with glee how she convinced the dean at the time to grant her a parking pass so she could have a car on campus (which was unheard of for women at the time). Her career began in Conneaut Lake, PA, where she met her future husband Clarence Gerald Mercatoris Jr. They married in 1955 and made their home in Conneaut Lake and Meadville, PA until 1973 at which time she moved with her children back to her hometown of Brookville, PA. Their union ended after he succumbed to a long illness in 1982. Esther was a loyal wife, devoted mother, loving grandmother, doting aunt, teacher, and homemaker. Essentially a single parent, and a full-time teacher, she found time to serve on many boards and causes. In Meadville, she was instrumental in starting a Preschool and YWCA. In Brookville, she was a Deacon and Elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Brookville, as well as a member of The Brookville Hospital Board. Her gift for teaching went beyond the classroom, and she would say that teaching was her "vocation as well as her avocation." She enjoyed cooking, sewing (into the wee hours of the morning), discussing US history and world events, visiting museums, and spending time with her family. There was always an extra seat at her beautifully decorated table regardless of age, politics, gender or social status, and it was rarely empty! She is survived by her son, Clarence Gerald Mercatoris, III (Gerry), his wife Jane, and their children C.G. and Elaina; her son, Mark Mercatoris and his children Stephan and Rachelle; and her daughter, Kathleen Mercatoris Dickey, her husband Charles, and their children Charlie, Louis, and Cecile. Her spirit will be our guide and live with us forever. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to the Rebecca M Arthurs Memorial Library, 223 Valley Street, Brookville, PA 15825; the Brookville Presbyterian Church, 100 S. White Street, Brookville, PA 15825; and the American Heart Association, PO Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005. Online condolences and other information may be found by visiting www.mckinneydargy.com.

Rory Kevin Patricelli, age 56, of Bond Street Brockway, PA, died on Saturday August 8, 2020, at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. FULL ARTICLE

William Joseph "Bill" Winter Sr., age 74, who most recently resided in Altercare Navarre, and formerly of Sykesville, Pennsylvania, died Thursday afternoon, August 6, 2020, in the Aultman Hospital at Canton, Ohio following a long illness. FULL ARTICLE

David "Dave" L. Handley, 72, of Marienville, died Tuesday, July 21, 2020, at the Clarion Hospital. FULL ARTICLE