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Lynn A. Sheehan Sr., 33rd degree, 78, Dallas, passed away Friday, Dec. 11, 2020, in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, due to complications of heart disease.

Born in Wilkes-Barre, he was the son of the late John and Verna Cave Sheehan. He was a graduate of Wyoming Seminary and attended Dickenson College.

Lynn had worked for Fowler Dick and Walker for some time and later as a systems consultant with Bell Telephone and AT&T.

He was a member and past master of George M. Dallas Lodge F&AM 531, Dallas. He was a member and past commander-in-chief of Caldwell Consistory Valley of Bloomsburg. In 1991, Lynn earned his 33rd Masonic degree. He was a member of Irem Temple Shrine, Provost Guard and current president of the Uniformed Units of Irem. He was the principal instructor of the 12th Masonic District School of Instruction and a member of the Wilkes-Barre Shrine Club.

Lynn was a member of Prince of Peace Episcopal Church, Dallas. He had served his country proudly in the Coast Guard. He was a member of Daddow Isaacs Post 672 American Legion, NEPA Coast Guard Club, Riverview Rod and Gun Club, Bent Barrel Hunting Club, Briskie Mountain, past president Dallas Football Booster Club and a 60-year member of Back Mountain Regional Fire and EMS Company.

Lynn was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother, John Sheehan.

Surviving are his wife of 52 years, the former Sandra Strazdus; daughter, Megan Palmer and her husband, Dan, Dallas; son, Lynn Jr. and his wife, Paula, Dallas; grandchildren, Shawn Mitchell (Emma); Kaitlyn Palmer (Glen); Caroline Sheehan (Jon); and Matt Palmer; and great-grandson, Lincoln Joseph Mitchell.

Eugene Martin Rooney, Jr., 66, of Pittston, passed away Friday, December 11, 2020, in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.

Born in Scranton on October 12, 1954, he was the son of Judith Ann Conklin Rooney of Scranton and the late Eugene Martin Rooney, Sr.

He was a graduate of Coughlin High School and Norwich University, a branch of West Point. He had worked for many years in law enforcement in Beacon, Peekskill, and Wappinger Falls, NY. He was the owner of the former Rooney’s Irish Pub on Main Street in Pittston.

He was a member of the Back Mountain Harvest Church. He had a passion for photography, flying planes and scuba diving.

In addition to his mother, he is survived by a sister, Kimberly Comandy, Scranton; nieces, Tammy Comandy and her husband John Audia, Scranton and Gena Comandy and her fiancé Mark Kayfield, Phoenixville; nephew, Gary Comandy and his fiancé Brianne McIntyre,

Scranton; great-niece, Angelina Comandy;

great-nephew, Brennan McIntyre and numerous friends.

Benjamin R. Jones lll, Esq., 83, of Dallas, passed away Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, at his home.

Born in Wilkes-Barre, he was the son of the late Honorable Benjamin R. Jones Jr., past Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and Dorothy Richards Jones. His mother and maternal grandparents, Minnie and Morgan Richards, emigrated from Wales in 1920, and settled in the Heights section of Wilkes-Barre, where attorney Jones was raised. The family were longtime members of the First Welsh Presbyterian Church. He was a graduate of Wyoming Seminary, Princeton University where he was a member of Quadrangle Club, and Temple University School of Law.

He served in the 109th Field Artillery Regiment.

Attorney Jones was a 57-year member of the Luzerne County Law and Library Association and his practice of law included serving as solicitor for Kingston Twp. for over 50 years, DAMA, and the Dallas School District. He also taught law at Wilkes University.

Attorney Jones was a chairman of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, a member of the board of trustees of Wyoming Seminary, and was affiliated with George M. Dallas Masonic Lodge #531 and the Caldwell Consistory. He was a member of the board of directors of the Westmoreland Club during the Agnes flood and played a large part in its restoration. He was a member of The North Mountain Club, The Westmoreland Club, Huntsville Golf Club, and Newberry Estate Country Club. He was an employee of the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour and took great pride in his Welsh and coal mining heritage. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed a tradition of pheasant hunting with his father on Thanksgiving Day.

Preceding him in death, in addition to his parents, was his brother, Morgan Richards Jones, Esq.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, the former Jane S. Snowdon; sons, Benjamin R. Jones IV, Kingston; Dylan S. Jones, Esq., London, UK; Tudor R. Jones and Julianna Piechoczek, Atlanta, Ga.; grandchildren, who were the joys of his life, Viktoria N. Milton, Jet P. Jones and Kit P. Jones; brother, the Honorable Edward Griffith, West Chester.

Dr. Peter M. Kaminski, 66, of Harveys Lake passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Twp.

He was born Oct. 4, 1954, in Newark, NJ to Peter John and Kathryn Hunt Kaminski. Due to the early death of his parents, Peter was raised in Hanover Twp. by his beloved grandmother, Anna, and aunt, Olga Kaminski.

Peter graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1972. He completed a Bachelor of Science degree in biology at King’s College and pursued a pharmacy degree at Temple University. While working as a pharmacist in Philadelphia, he furthered his education graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine. He completed a two-year surgical residency at St. Mary’s Hospital in Philadelphia and later established an office of Podiatry in Plymouth and Dallas where he practiced for the past 35 years, treating patients and entertaining them with his corny jokes.

Peter enjoyed golfing with his friends, especially on their annual golf trips culminating with the presentation of his original “Doc Awards.” In addition, he was an avid runner, completing a triathlon at age 50. He was excited to travel to Alaska, Europe, and the Caribbean with his family and friends. Throughout the years, Peter coached all of his children and his nieces in a variety of sports including baseball, basketball, and soccer. He also spent a great deal of time boating on Harveys Lake and deep-sea fishing off the New Jersey coast. Peter was a member of the Pennsylvania Academy of Podiatric Medicine, a member of the George M. Dallas Lodge 53, a member of the Irem Shriners, a member of the Knights of Columbus, and past president of the Harveys Lake Protective Association. He was also a member of Our Lady of Victory Church where he served in the past as a eucharistic minister.

He leaves behind his beloved wife of 42 years, Karen Kuchinskas Kaminski; son, Peter John Kaminski; daughters, Katelyn Kaminski and Margarete Kukosky; granddaughter, Layla Ruby Lewis; sister and brother-in-law, Sylvia and Dr. Kurt Maas; nieces, Maria Conley and Kelsey Maas; and father-in-law, Sylvester Kuchinskas.

John E. “Jack” Belle of Doylestown passed away at his residence surrounded by his family Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020. He was 87.

Born May 6, 1933, in Syracuse, N.Y., to the late Oscar D. and Jean (DiMarzio) Belle, Jack resided in Syracuse, Waynesboro, Pa., and Dallas, Pa., before moving to Doylestown in 1976.

Jack graduated from Onondaga Valley Academy in 1951 where he played football and was class president. He was a member of the All Syracuse City Band where he played clarinet. He then went on to attend Syracuse University, where he studied business, played on the golf and tennis teams, and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.

He was an exceptional sales professional in the heavy construction equipment industry; District Manager of Austin-Western, Grove Cranes and P&H Harnischfeger Industries, and Vice President of L.B. Smith.

Jack was a member of the George M. Dallas Masonic Lodge, LuLu Shriners, and Scottish Rite Valley of Bloomsburg.

He met his wife, Betty, downhill skiing in the Syracuse area when he was on the ski patrol. During the 1960s and 70s, they took their family skiing in the winter. In the summers, they enjoyed boating, water skiing and fishing, and time together at The Thousand Islands, N.Y., on their boat, River Belle.

In 1985, the Belles opened Rainbow World Day Care School in Chalfont, where hundreds of children attended over 15 years including his oldest two grandsons.

Jack was an avid golfer and played for many years at Lake Shore Country Club in Syracuse, Doylestown Country Club, and Haig Point Country Club in South Carolina. In the 1990s and 2000s, the Belles would spend part of the year at their residence in Hilton Head, S.C., with his best friend and brother, Lee, and his wife, Suzy.

He was an enthusiastic Philly sports fan and loved watching and attending Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles games. He also enjoyed Syracuse University and Penn State football and basketball. Jack loved holidays with family and attending his children’s and grandchildren’s concerts, shows, recitals, and football, baseball, softball, soccer, basketball and lacrosse games.

Jack was very sociable; talking to and making friends with everyone. We will miss sharing meals, conversations filled with laughter, and his good company.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth (Betty) Belle, and children John L. Belle (Susan) of Marion, MA, Kathleen Maclin (Thomas) of Doylestown, and Lori Shapiro (Matthew) of Doylestown; his grandchildren Russell of NYC, John and Anna Maclin of Doylestown, Scott and Jane Shapiro of Doylestown; his sister Joanne Belle of Syracuse, sister-in-law Suzanne Belle (Lee) of Syracuse, sister-in-law Barbara Vars of Wellesley Island, NY and nieces Cynthia Belle Hynes of Syracuse and Lesley Vars of NYC. He was preceded in death by his brothers Henry M. and Lee L. Belle.

Samuel Beidleman Dilcer, Jr. of Brookfield passed away on Tuesday August 25, 2020 at Dartmouth Hitchcock medical center at the age of 89. Born August 21, 1931 in Philadelphia, PA, Sam was the only child of Samuel and Maud Dilcer Sr., later of Trucksville, PA. He received a degree from Wilkes College in 1957 and an MBA from Wilmington College in 1979.  During his career as a chemist, he worked with water treatment chemicals inspecting boilers throughout the United States, South and Central Americas, Middle East and South Asia. On July 25, 1964 he married Mary Ellen Farnham in Tunbridge, Vermont. Together with his wife, Sam supported their 3 children in all aspects of their lives, rarely missing a sporting event or school concert. Family was everything to Sam, all other things were second.  

Sam was a Pennsylvania Freemason for over 60 years, and a concurrent member of the Brookfield Lodge for over 15 years.  Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he was the third generation to serve in a masonic lodge. He was always very active in the community, as a volunteer member of the National Ski Patrol for over 40 years, as a church member, a boy scout and explorer post leader, adult supervisor in youth group mission trips, and frequent school marching band chaperone – traveling to the World Expo in Spain in 1992.  

Sam had a life-long love of learning and passion for all hobbies and the outdoors, especially woodworking and carving, cooking, reading, gardening, fly fishing, hunting, and skiing. Family vacations involved camping and canoeing. In more recent years, Sam could be found whittling in Floral Hall at the Tunbridge World’s Fair or watching Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey at Norwich University where he and Mary Ellen were season ticket holders.  

Sam is remembered fondly as a great talker and story teller with a wonderful sense of humor, as well as being very practical and full of wisdom. His glass was half full and his first thought when things were challenging was, “it could always be worse”.  He was a man with a strong faith in God, standing by his family during times of need and never ceasing to offer his assistance and support to anyone who asked.   

Samuel B. Dilcer, Jr was a loving and caring person, full of faith and compassion, kind and generous with his time and efforts, a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend, he was the best anyone could ask for.  He is survived by his beloved wife Mary Ellen of 56 years and their children: Erica, Samuel (wife Michele), and Christianna Farrell (husband Steve) and six cherished grandchildren: Matthew and Ryan Dilcer; Stephen, Trevor, Melanie and Kelly Farrell; as well as many cousins.