Obituaries

Veronica Penyak Southard, age 93, of West Scranton, passed away early Thursday morning at home.
She was the widow of Attorney Leo Southard who died in 1994.
Born in Dunmore on March 3, 1916, daughter of the late Frank and Anna Megila Penyak, Veronica was educated in Dunmore High School, class of 1935, before graduating from East Stroudsburg Normal School, class of 1937. Teaching for over 30 years, she taught in both the Dunmore and Clarks Summit School Districts before retiring in 1984 from John Marshall School, West Scranton. Of Roman Catholic faith, she was a member of St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, West Scranton, and a member of its Society of the Faithful.
A beloved mother, she lived for her family, Baltimore Orioles baseball and Notre Dame football.
She is survived by her three sons; Kevin Southard, one of her caregivers and with whom she resided, Leo Southard and wife Melanie of Factoryville and
John Southard and wife Diane of Malverne, New York, her two daughters; Mary Southard, another one of her caregivers and with whom she resided and Kathleen Twardowski of Moosic, her sister, Julie Hodgetts of Henrietta, New York, grandchildren; Sean, Cloe, Katie and Becky and great grandchildren; Kasey, Ava and Ivy.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Frank, and sisters; Ann Jones, Mary McLaughlin, Madelyn Dolak, Helen Higgins, Midge Gulotti, twin infant siblings; Michael and Eleanor and a son-in-law, Lenny Twardowski.
The funeral will be held on Tuesday at 9AM from the Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., 125 North Main Avenue, West Scranton, with Mass of Christian Burial and Committal Rites at 9:30AM in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Oram Street, in West Scranton to be celebrated by Monsignor David L. Tressler, Pastor. Interment will be in Cathedral Cemetery. Relatives and friends may pay their respects on Monday between 4-7PM at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Veronica’s name to the Wound Care Center (c/o Marian Community Hospital, 100 Lincoln Avenue in Carbondale, 18407, or to the Cottage Hose & Ambulance Corps, Inc., (c/o P.O. Box 331, Carbondale, 18407).