THOMAS JARICK

Thomas Jarick of White Haven, passed away at home, at 93 on Sunday, July 21, 2019.  Born in Freeland in 1926, he had a typical depression era upbringing; picking coal in the winter and berries in the summer.

At 15, he went to California to stay with his Aunt, while her husband was away at war.  That’s where he met his future wife, Claudine Lyster.  As a senior at Monrovia High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1944 during WW2.  He spent two years at Occidental College and UCLA training to become a Navy pilot, the beginning of his life-long passion for aircraft.  When the war ended in 1946, he was discharged and returned to his family in Philadelphia.  He worked for Western Electric as a telephone equipment installer and at various AT&T offices and many microwave relay stations surrounding the Philadelphia area, testing long distance carrier telephone systems.  Tom sent a ring and an airline ticket to Claudine in CA, who traveled to Philadelphia.  They were married in 1947 and Tom built their first home in Bucks County.  As it became more difficult to meet the job travel requirements while raising a family, Tom applied for a job with AT&T in Philadelphia.  While waiting, he worked as an aircraft mechanic for Chase Aircraft, fabricating small parts for the newly designed cargo plane, the “Strukoff Avitruck” and also electrical wiring of airplane instrument panels.  In May 1953, he took a position with AT&T, where he started in equipment maintenance and progressed thru the supervisory positions of Central Office Chief and eventually into the position of District Supervisor for all radio relay stations surrounding the Philadelphia and Wayne area.  Retiring at the age of 55, Tom built another home in Dennison Township.  When completed he and Claudine moved there, enjoying their peaceful home in the woods, as he continued to pursue his love of model aircraft, gardening and hunting.  Tom stayed very active during his later years, while always supporting and caring for his family…often advising his children, “Go home and sleep on it.  Things will look better in the morning.”

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, George Jarick Sr. his mother Alice (Kuchar) Jarick, his brothers Ed and George, and his sisters Mary Wasilewski and Alice Danenhower.

He is survived and fondly loved by his wife, Claudine, brother, Jim and four children, Tom Jarick of New Jersey; Lynne of Dennison Twp. James and wife Donna of Dennison Township; Marydee Mock of ME and PA; grandchildren, Brian Mock, Jennifer Detweiler and her husband, Ryan, Kevin Jarick and his wife, Amanda, Megan Jarick and Jessie Metcalfe and her husband, Ryan of IL; great grandchildren, Madalyn, Aubey and Shane Detweiler and Brooklyn and Kevin Jarick Jr.

Funeral service will be held at 8:30 am on Friday, July 26, 2019 from the Lehman Family Funeral Service, 403 Berwick St. White Haven, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:00 am at St. Patrick's Church, White Haven.

Friends are invited to join the family at the funeral home on Thursday evening, July 25, 2019 from 5 to 7 pm and Friday morning from 8:15 until time of service.

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