Ralph A. “Sonny” Westerman Jr.

Ralph A. “Sonny” Westerman Jr., 88, of Buffalo Township passed away Friday at his home.

Sonny was born Sept. 3, 1928, in Sarver, a son of the late Irene Kain and Ralph A. Westerman Sr.

At age 17, Sonny joined the U.S. Navy in January 1946, his senior year. He served on the Roosevelt, Midway and Saipan aircraft carriers. After being discharged from the service in November 1947, he worked for his father in the feed and trucking business in Sarver. On Jan. 31, 1948, he married his high school sweetheart, Marilyn Cunningham.

In 1952 Sonny began managing Westerman’s Feed Store in Freeport and was there until 1972, when he built Westerman’s True Value Hardware Store in Buffalo Township.

Sonny was president of the Freeport School Board when the Freeport Senior High School was built in 1960. He was active in baseball all of his life, including scouting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1970s. He was director of the American Legion Baseball in Armstrong and Westmoreland County for many years. His Freeport Legion team went to the State Legion Finals in 1970 and ended up fourth in the state. He was responsible for bringing the Legion State Playoffs to Western Pennsylvania in Freeport in 1971. He was also a commissioner of the Butler County Eagle Baseball.

Sonny was the co-founder of the Freeport International Baseball Invitational that has brought in teams from all over the world.

He is a member of the Pennsylvania American Legion Hall of Fame, the Armstrong County Hall of Fame, A-K Valley Hall of Fame, Butler County Hall of Fame and the Kentucky Bluegrass Hall of Fame.

He served on the board of directors of Sarverville Cemetery, was a member of the Armstrong Lodge F&AM, New Castle Consistory and Syria Shrine, and a member of the Freeport Odd Fellows and the United Presbyterian Church of Freeport.

Sonny is survived by his wife of 69 years; his son Ernie (Karen) Westerman; his daughter, Jody (Henry) Dolmayer; his daughters-in-law, Pat (Mohney) Westerman and Kim (Dunmyre) Westerman; eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and his sister Doris Kreuzberger.

He was preceded in death by his sons Ralph and Michal; his parents; his sister Lorene Demeno; and his brother, Sam Westerman.

WESTERMAN — There will be no public visitation for Ralph A. “Sonny” Westerman Jr., who died Friday, June 30, 2017.

A funeral service was at 10 a.m. today at the United Presbyterian Church of Freeport with the Rev. David Caves Jr. officiating. A private family burial will follow at the Sarverville Cemetery, Sarver.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the United Presbyterian Church of Freeport, 411 High St., Freeport, PA 16229.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Redmond Funeral Home in Freeport.

To send a condolence visit, www.redmondfuneralhomeinc.com.