Emil T. Hordesky

Emil T. Hor-desky, 87, of South Scranton, died Sunday at Mercy Hospital after a brief illness. His wife of 60 years, Alba Elizabeth Hordesky, died in June.

Born in Carbondale, son of the late Wasyl and Anna Hordesky, he was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church, now St. Paul of the Cross Parish, South Scranton. He was a Navy submarine combat veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific theater of operations, and his ship, the USS Haddo, was near Pearl Harbor at the time of the attack by the Japanese. Emil was a graduate of the University of Scranton, where he received a football scholarship, and began his teaching career as an English teacher at North Scranton High School. He later became principal at Scranton Central High School from 1964 to 1983, when he retired. Emil was team captain and all-scholastic guard at Carbondale High School. In 1989, he received the Frank J. O'Hara Award in education from the University of Scranton. He was the founder and president of the Big 11 Football Conference and assistant coach at the University of Scranton. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1991 and later received the University of Scranton Wall of Fame Award in 1996.

Emil was a kind and gentle person, affectionately known as Bear. He was a hardworking, self-made man who brought these qualities, as well as the ones he acquired in sports, to his teaching career, and used them to assist teachers and support personnel as their principal. He was a truly loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, neighbor and friend who will be deeply missed but fondly remembered by all who knew and loved him.

Surviving are two daughters, Sharon Hordesky, Washington, D.C.; and Mary Ann Sedorovitz and husband, Robert, Scranton; three sons, Eugene and wife, Beverly Jane, Tunkhannock; Robert, Scranton; and Carl and wife, Colleen, Hampstead, Md.; 11 grandchildren, Emil, Daniel, David, John, Naomi and Joseph Hordesky, all of Tunkhannock; Amelia Povolny and husband, Matt, Long Island, N.Y.; Audrey Josefek and husband, Peter, Kentucky; and Emily, Kevin and Elizabeth Hordesky, all of Hampstead; two great-grandchildren, Sophia Alba, Long Island; and Dominic, Kentucky; two sisters, Annie Turonis and Betty Eltz, both of Binghamton, N.Y.; nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by a son, Emil Jr.; four brothers, Michael, Stephen, John and Joseph Hordesky; and two sisters, Mary and Vera.

The funeral will be Wednesday with Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Francis of Assisi Church, 630 Genet St., Scranton. Interment, Italian-American Cemetery, Minooka section of Scranton.

The family requests that those attending the funeral proceed directly to the church.

Friends may call Tuesday, 5 to 8 p.m., at the Neil W. Regan Funeral Home Inc., 1900 Pittston Ave., Scranton. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, 516 Storrs St., Dickson City, PA 18519.