John P. Lawless

John P. Lawless, 84, a lifelong resident of West Scranton, died Sunday evening in the home of his daughter and son-in-law, Robert and Marialyn Kusner, surrounded by his family. He and his wife, the late Martha M. Durkin Lawless, had been married for 56 loving years.

Born in Tobyhanna, Pa., he was the son of the late William Ambrose and Johanna Bonner Lawless. He graduated from West Scranton High School and received his associate degree in business from Lackawanna Jr. College. He served his country as a Cook 3rd Class in the United States Navy on the USS Dennis J. Buckley during World War II. After the war, he was employed as a carman at the Keyser Valley Shops of the Erie-Lackawanna Railroad for eight years. He was then appointed as a fireman for the Scranton City Fire Department, where he served for 17 years until he was promoted to Fire Chief under Mayor James J. Walsh. Following his service with the fire department, he worked for more than 20 years as a safety inspector for OSHA until he retired in 1989.

He was an avid member of St. Patrick Church, where he served as an Eucharistic minister and was a member of its Holy Name Society. He was a 4th-Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and he was a devoted servant to St. Ann 's Novena. He was also a member of the VFW Post 1601, Scranton.

He is survived by three daughters, Jody Sunday and husband, Gregg; Kelly Ann Perles and husband, Michael; Marialyn Kusner and husband, Robert; and a son, Jack Lawless and wife, Valerie, all of Scranton; 11 grandchildren, Richard and wife, Maria Strauch, Gilbert, Ariz.; John and wife, Cinzia Lawless, Nashville, Tenn.; Carrie Lawless, New York, N.Y.; Bryan Lawless, Stephanie and Christopher Musso; Brandon, Ryan and Robert Perles; Stephen Sunday, and Robert and Jonathan Kusner; 2 great-grandsons, Michael and Justin Strauch, Gilbert, Ariz.; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by an infant sister, Margaret; and a brother, William "Jr."

The funeral will be Thursday at 9:15 a.m. from the Kearney Funeral Home, 125 N. Main Ave., Scranton, with Mass to be celebrated at 10 in St. Patrick Church, 1400 Jackson Street, Scranton. Viewing will be held at the Kearney Funeral Home on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. Interment, St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow.

Memorial contributions may be made to either St. Patrick Church General Fund, St. Ann 's Basilica, 1442 St. Ann 's Street; or Hospice of the Sacred Heart, 600 Baltimore Drive, Wilkes-Barre, 18702. For more information, directions, to view a memorial tribute video or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.strauchfuneral homes.com.