Brian Joseph Mariano

BLOOMSBURG — Brian Joseph Mariano, 51, of 1 Blue Jay Drive — beloved husband, son and brother — died unexpectedly at his home Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

Born at the Bloomsburg Hospital, April 23, 1964, he was a son of Janette E. (Chenkanski) Mariano, of Bloomsburg, and the late Albert C. Mariano. He spent his early life in Kulpmont.

Brian was a 1983 graduate of Mount Carmel Area High School, where he played football and basketball and was a member of the track team for the Red Tornadoes. Following high school, he attended Mansfield University and graduated with honors in 1988. He later pursued a Master's Degree at Shippensburg University before ultimately leaving to take a job as a juvenile probation officer for Northumberland County. At that job, he met his wife, the former Amy Doncheski. They were married Sept. 19, 1992, and would have celebrated their 23rd anniversary this fall.

He was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church, Bloomsburg.

Brian returned to the Bloomsburg area in 1996 and worked for the Geisinger Health Plan for four years before going on to pursue his artistic side through a love of jewelry design. He spent the past several years creating custom pieces of jewelry for clients all over the tri-state area. He traveled to various fairs and shows with his wife and loved to create and express himself through his jewelry making.

In addition to the art of jewelry making, Brian also loved physical exercise. He received a license as a certified personal trainer from the American College of Sports Medicine in 2014. He was serving as a personal trainer for the Berwick Area YMCA. He loved spending time at the YMCA and working with clients. It was yet another passion of his.

Brian loved to spend time with his family and friends, going on cruises, on annual trips to Gettysburg with his wife, and brewing homemade craft beer. He even got his pilot's license in 1998 so that he could fly ultra-light parachute powered planes and take aerial photographs of the local countryside.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Michael Doncheski.

Surviving, in addition to his mother, are his beloved wife, Amy, and their dog, Cricket; a sister, Sandra C. and her husband, Robert L. Graeber, of Lititz; a brother, Martin P. Mariano, and his wife, Beverly, of Bloomsburg; his mother-in-law, Dorothy Doncheski, of Coal Township; three brothers-in-law, Mark Doncheski and his wife, Mary, of Kaseville, Lee Doncheski and his wife, Michelle, of Elysburg, and Mike Doncheski and his wife, Carolyn, of Greencastle, and numerous nieces and nephews.

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MARIANO — Brian Joseph Mariano, 51, of 1 Blue Jay Drive, Bloomsburg, formerly of Kulpmont. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday in St. Columba Catholic Church, 342 Iron St., Bloomsburg, by his pastor, Monsignor Robert E. Lawrence. Private interment will be in All Saints Cemetery, Bear Gap. Viewing will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Christian Wake service at 8 p.m., and 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Dean W. Kriner Inc. Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 325 Market St., Bloomsburg. The family will provide flowers. Donations in Brian's memory may be made to the Berwick Area YMCA, 231 W. Third St., Berwick 18603. Condolence messages and photos may be posted at www.krinerfuneralhomes.com.