Philamay Theresa Swiderski

1921 - 2019

NANTICOKE — Philamay Theresa (née Wadzinki) Swiderski, our beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away May 7, 2019. Born in Nanticoke on July 25, 1921, Philamay was the youngest child of John and Katherine "Katie"(née Olshefski) Wadzinski. She graduated from Nanticoke High School in 1939, attended Wilkes College and graduated from Wilkes-Barre Business School, where she received The Palmer Method of Business Writing Certificate (Advanced Course) for Superior Ability in Rapid Legible Commercial Penmanship. Her handwriting was beautiful.

Philamay married John S. Swiderski Sr. on May 8, 1948, in St. Stanislaus R.C. Church, Nanticoke. The newlyweds moved to Allentown and then Bethlehem. In November 1956, Philamay and John purchased a house on Stonington Road, Bethlehem, where they resided for 54 years. After John's death on July 25, 2010, Philamay lived here for another seven years — 61 years in the same house. It was and still is a wonderful neighborhood.

During World War II, Philamay worked as a riveter at the U.S. Navy Yard, Philadelphia. After the war, she worked in the business office at Retreat State Hospital, Hunlock Creek. Early in her marriage, she was employed by A.C. Kendall Co., Bethlehem. In 1960, after 10 years as a stay-at-home mom, she went to work at Hess Brothers Department Store as an accounts payable clerk. She retired from Hess in 1985.

In retirement, Philamay and John traveled extensively in the United States and Canada. They enjoyed beach vacations with their grandchildren, visiting her sister, Beatrice, in New York and Florida, attending Penn State football games and Army Fifth Engineer Combat Battalion reunions. For their golden wedding anniversary, she and John traveled to England, Scotland and Wales. Philamay also enjoyed solo trips to Italy, Ireland and Israel. For many years, she and John were members at the Bethlehem YMCA, where they participated in co-ed hydro dynamic classes and made many new friends. In September 2011, she was inducted into the Pennsylvania Voter Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding citizenship demonstrated by her participation in every November election for 50 consecutive years. Philamay was an avid reader — a trait she passed on to her daughter and granddaughter.

She was a member of Notre Dame of Bethlehem R.C. Church for 63 years and an active member of the parish's 55+ Club for many years.

Philamay was predeceased by her husband; her parents; and siblings Frank, Sophie Pleskash and Beatrice McKenzie.

She is survived by her daughter, Catherine and her husband, Greg Csencsitz, of Northampton; son John and his wife, Jane (née Harris), of Bethlehem and Shawnee, Kan.; grandson Samuel Swiderski and his wife, Suzie Weng, of Los Alamitos, Calif.; granddaughter Samantha Swiderski Higley and her husband, Robert, of Lenexa, Kan.; great-grandchildren Kate and Ben Higley; nephews John Wadzinski, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Charles Arnone, of Glendale, Ariz.; goddaughter and niece, Ann Marie Swiderski Harris, of Mount Pocono; godson Roger Day, of Horsham; and cousin Norman Krauser, of Nanticoke.

Services will be at Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church, 1861 Catasauqua Road, Bethlehem, PA 18018, on Tuesday, June 25, 2019, with visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. Burial will be in Holy Savior Cemetery, Linden Street, Bethlehem, immediately following the Mass. Arrangements entrusted to Downing Funeral Home Inc.

Contributions may be made to Notre Dame Church or Northampton Area Public Library, 1615 Laubach Ave., Northampton, PA 18067.