Obituary for Patricia Niswonger

“Pat” was born in Ambridge, Pa. on Aug. 4, 1928, and came to the Youngstown area as a youngster with her parents, John S. Truhan and Sarah Ruth (Cullen) Truhan. Her siblings, who all preceded her in death, were John L., Daniel, Valeria, Dawn, and Mary Janet Truhan.

She married Norman E. Niswonger, her husband of 64 years, on June 26, 1948. He died in 2012. They lived for many years in a house they built on Lucretia Drive in Liberty Township.

Norman and Pat were the parents of three daughters, Susan (Tom) Lareau of Girard, Judy (Frank) Cvetkovic of Liberty Township, and Barb Cullen of Raleigh, N.C.; grandchildren Jeannette (Dan) Lareau of Chicago, Matthew (Nikki) Cvetkovic of Amhearst, Jon, Jay, Jamie Drennen and Katie Cullen of Raleigh; and two great-grandchildren, Andrew and Alexander Cvetkovic of Amhearst.

Besides her husband and her parents, five siblings preceded her in death, Valeria (Edward) Kalvar, Dawn Pratt (Edward) Dooley, Lawrence (Mary Jane) Truhan, Dan (Mary Jo) Truhan and Mary Janet (Edward) Murphy.

For many years, Pat owned and operated Public Typing Service, a letter shop and duplicating service. She worked on subcontracted job printing and design of all types from her home office in Liberty. In the 1970s, Mrs. Niswonger was the founding president of the Mahoning/Shenango Valley Chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis foundation and a treatment center was established at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown.

Pat served for four years on the executive board of the Lutheran Women’s League of Youngstown and Vicinity. As the league president, she spearheaded the beginning organization of the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Nursing Home in Niles. She was one of the recipients of the Helen Stambaugh Award in 2012 for dedicated service for this work.

Pat got her real estate license from Kent State University extension and became a licensed realtor with the W.B. Gibson Company. Later as a broker, she owned and operated her own real estate company called Pat and Company in Liberty Township. She did this work for 20 years and won several million-dollar-a-year awards for sales. Pat also served as one the first councilwomen at the Christ the King Lutheran Church in Liberty Township and helped found and organize Beth Yeshua Congregation with her sister-in-law, Mitzi Niswonger.

Calling hours will be observed at the Blackstone Funeral Home, 672 Churchill Road in Girard, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28.

There will be a funeral service at 12:30 p.m. A reception will be held immediately afterwards at Rachel’s Restaurant.

A private burial will be the next day at Green Haven Memorial Gardens.

The family would like to extend their thanks to the staff at Guardian Health Care Center in Youngstown, and All Caring Hospice in Canfield for the professional and compassionate care provided during Pat’s final days.

Memorial contributions may be made in Pat’s name for Angels for Animals in Canfield.

Please visit blackstonefuneralhome.com to view this obituary and to send any condolences to the family.