John Frank Jancse
John Frank Jancse, 84, of Harrisville, and formerly of Slippery Rock, passed away at Autumn Grove in Harrisville on Thursday following an extended illness.
John was born in Forest Hills, Allegheny County, on Aug. 15, 1930, to Joseph Jancse and Barbara Pommersheim Jancse. He married Margy Mae Lowers on Sept. 15, 1949, and she preceded him in death on Sept. 30, 2005.
He graduated from Hooker High School in 1948, where he was an outstanding athlete and still holds school athletic achievement records recorded at Karns City High School. He went on to play professional baseball in the Minor Leagues for the Los Angeles Dodgers until 1959, when he started Jancse's Custard Stand in Slippery Rock, operating until 1977. In 1978, he managed Lake Arthur Country Club. During that period and beyond, he served as postmaster at SRU, was a union electrician, drove a school bus for Snyder Bus Lines in Slippery Rock and was a WPIAL official for baseball, basketball and football. He was inducted into the Butler County Hall of Fame in 1999.
John retired as a service manager from Renick Brother's Construction in Slippery Rock in 1992 and was succeeded as service manager by his son, Jim.
John was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a member of the Slippery Rock Lions Club. He was a former member of the board of directors for Grove City Country Club, the Grove City F&AM Lodge 603 and Slippery Rock borough council. He had attended Slippery Rock United Methodist Church and was an avid golfer.
Survivors include his longtime companion, Naomi Hefferman at home; three sons, Kirk John Jancse and his wife, Barbara, of Warrenton, Va., Jeffery Joseph Jancse of Carlisle and James Jay Jancse and his wife, Sally, of Portersville; seven grandchildren, Trent Jancse and Jason (Amy) Jancse, Jenifer (Justin) Long, Jill (James) Nunnermacker and Michelle, Olivia and Mitchell Jancse; seven great-grandchildren, Layla Nunnermacker, Nathan, Andrew, Josh and Jada Jancse, and Kennedy and Liam Long; and two step-grandchildren, Tessa and Colin Bishop.
JANCSE — The family of John Frank Jancse, who died Thursday, March, 5, 2015, will receive friends at the Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock, from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. until service at 11 a.m. Monday.Funeral services will be held at the funeral home on at 11 a.m. Monday with the Rev. Dana Opp of The Presbyterian Church of Portersville presiding.Memorial contributions may be given to the donor's choice.
