Conway

John William Conway, 89, of Slippery Rock Borough, Butler County, passed away Thursday at his home following a brief illness.

He was born in Zelienople on Sept. 24, 1924, to John Guthrie Conway and Beulah Jemiah Lonsdale Conway.

He married Kathryn May Cress on Sept. 16, 1950.

John was a U.S. Army Veteran having served actively during World War II and the Korean War.

John graduated from Butler Business College and attended the School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin. John retired in 1988 as executive vice president at the First National Bank of Slippery Rock. He continued to serve on the boards of directors of the First National Bank of Slippery Rock and the Slippery Rock Financial Corporation until their merger in 2004 with First National Bank of PA. He started his banking career as a teller and did a little bit of everything as was often done in those days, including making house calls to people who had no transportation to the bank. He was one of the very few who began his career as a teller and retired as chairman of the board.

He was a member of the Slippery Rock United Methodist Church, the Cedar Lodge 800 Free and Accepted Masons of Grove City, and the Scottish Rite, Valley of New Castle. He was a supreme council 33 Degree Mason. He retired last year as a member of the Slippery Rock University Foundation and served as a member and past commander of the Slippery Rock American Legion Post 393. He was a former member and past chairman of the Slippery Rock Municipal Authority and former director of the AAA Auto Club of Butler County.

Survivors include his wife, Kathryn “Kate” Conway of Slippery Rock; his two daughters, Mary Martha and her husband, Wood D. Wiles, of Cumming, Ga., and Kathryn Jane and her husband, David E. Malick, of Pittsburgh; his two grandchildren, Erik D. and his wife, Anne Wiles, of Naples, Fla., and Michelle K. Wiles of Cumming, Ga.; and his three great-grandchildren, Timothy, Johnny and Ariana Wiles.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Duane L. “Jake” Conway.

CONWAY — The friends of John William Conway, who passed away Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013, will be received at the Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday.The funeral services will be at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Monday, with the Rev. Keith McIlwain pastor of the Slippery Rock United Methodist Church.

A Masonic service will be at 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.Following the service at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Monday, the family invites friends to the Slippery Rock United Methodist Church Social Hall where refreshments will be served.Interment will be at Butler County Memorial Park.Memorial contributions may be given to the Slippery Rock United Methodist Church.