William "Billy" Gentile

William "Billy" Gentile, 83, of Crystal Lake, PA, passed away Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at Geisinger CMC, Scranton, PA, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Barbara Yessen.
Born February 8, 1941 in Carbondale, PA, he was the son of the late Louis Gentile and the late Ann Chellino Hanchak, and the step-son of the late John Hanchak.
Billy was a 1959 graduate of Benjamin Franklin High School where he was captain of the baseball and basketball teams and a member of the football team. He was one of the only athletes at the time to be chosen "Globe Athlete of The Week" in all three sports. He attended Bloomsburg University where he also played baseball. Billy was the regular shortstop for the Scranton Parodi Cigar Team in the Atlantic Seaboard Major Softball League. He played for the Carbondale Blues of the Wayne League from 1967 to 1971, winning the league title five straight years. Billy managed the Blues for three seasons. He was inducted into the Wayne County Hall of Fame in 2000 and was also an inductee to the Northeastern Chapter of the State's Hall of Fame.
Billy and his wife, Barbara were proprietors of the Crystal Pines restaurant for over fifty years. He always had a smile awaiting his customers and made many loyal, lifelong friends. The Crystal Pines bar was always a place to banter about sports with Billy, and his favorite team, The New York Yankees. People would come near and far to see his collected memorabilia, a hobby of his. He was a well-beloved member of Elkview Country Club, joining at twenty-three years old and totaling sixty-one seasons, and thousands of outings played with friends.
Billy had a compassionate aura to him, and would view every patron as family. The way he was, to know him was to love him. His life was a life well lived, and we cannot begin to describe how much we will miss him. We would like to extend gratitude to the staff of Geisinger CMC for all their help over the years. We would also like to give personal thanks to Dr. Susan Biancarelli for all she has done for Billy.
He is also survived by two daughters: Anna Gill and husband, Christopher of Greenfield Township, PA and Jennifer Jordan of Pasadena, MD; four grandchildren: Aidan and Nadia Gill and Giada and Carter Jordan; and several nieces and nephews.
He was also preceded in death by one sister: Jennifer Galko.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Monday, November 25, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. from St. Rose of Lima Church, 6 North Church Street, Carbondale, PA, concelebrated by Rev. Seth Wasnock, pastor, Rev. Joseph Sitko and Rev. Charles Connor. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Greenfield Township, PA.
Pallbearers: Aidan Gill, Christopher Gill, Mark Jordan, Thomas Daniels, Michael McHale and Harold McGovern.
Viewing hours were held Monday, November 25, 2025 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the church.
Arrangements by, Carmine J. & Louis C. Parise Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Carbondale, PA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations were sent in Billy's name to Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, 6 N. Church Street, Carbondale, PA 18407