Dr. Dennis A. Sharkey Jr.

Dennis A. Sharkey Jr., MD, 93, of 150 Jonathan Ln., Bellefonte, formerly of St. Marys, died peacefully at Elmcroft Senior Living of State College on Dec. 20, 2017 after a brief illness.
Dr. Sharkey was born July 15, 1924 to the late Dennis A. Sharkey Sr. and Jean Gardner Sharkey in Altoona and lived most of his youth in Tyrone. He graduated from Tyrone High School in 1942.
On his 18th birthday, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was trained as a navigator/radar observer and served overseas with the Eighth Army Air Force 306th Bomb Group. He completed 30 combat missions in 1943 and 1944, and received the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters, Presidential Unit Citation with Oak Leaf Cluster, European Theater of Operations Medal with Battle Star, World War Victory Medal and was honorably discharged as a captain in the United States Air Force Reserve in 1955.
He married Mary Rose O'Brien in June 1955. She preceded him in death Nov. 18, 2010.
He graduated from Pennsylvania State College in 1950. He received his Doctor of Medicine from University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1954. After internship, he engaged in general practice in Emporium from 1955-1958. He trained at the VA Hospital, University of Pittsburgh School of Health Profession in anatomic and clinical pathology from 1958-1962.
In 1962, he was appointed as a board certified Chief of Pathology Services at the former Andrew Kaul Memorial Hospital in St. Marys and the Elk County General Hospital in Ridgway. He retired from full-time practice at age 78. During his tenure he was President of Medical – Dental staff at Andrew Kaul Memorial in 1989-1991 and 1993-94.
Dr. Sharkey was active in the community of St. Marys as a long-term committee or board member of the St. Marys Board of Health, Borough of St. Marys Zoning Hearing Board, Cancer Society of Elk County, United Way of St. Marys and Benzinger Township, Community Nurses, Northwest Savings Bank and St. Marys Country Club.
Dr. Sharkey is survived by three children, Muffie (Mary Rose) Silber of Lutz, Florida, Denise A. Yeager of Bellefonte and Dennis A. Sharkey III of Philadelphia; five grandchildren, Emily Barnes of Land O'Lakes, Florida, Brian Sarginger of College Park, Maryland, Stephanie Yeager of Philadelphia, Caitlin Yeager of Pittsburgh and Andrew Yeager of Bellefonte; and four great-grandchildren, Richard Barnes III, Blair Maryrose Barnes, Andrew Yeager and Adrian Yeager.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Dennis A. Sharkey Jr., MD, will be celebrated in the St. Mary's Church on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Peter Augustine Pierjok, OSB, pastor, officiating. Full military rites will be accorded by the St. Marys Servicemen's Burial Detail. Interment will be private.
Visitation will be held at the Lynch-Radkowski Funeral Home in St. Marys on Jan. 16 from 6-8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Community Nurses Inc., 757 Johnsonburg Rd., Suite 200, St. Marys, Pa. 15857, or the local charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be offered at www.lynch-radkowski.com.