Stearl R. (Butch) Gunsallus, Jr.

Stearl R. (Butch) Gunsallus, Jr., 80, of Conneaut Lake, passed away Thursday, February 16, 2017 at Rolling Fields with his loving family by his bedside.

Butch was born in Meadville June 17, 1936, a son of the late Stearl R. and Pearl A. Leathers Gunsallus, Sr.  He married Paula Melenson May 23, 1969 and she survives.

Butch was a 1954 graduate of Meadville High School.  He was a U.S. Army Veteran.  He worked on the Erie Lackawanna and Conrail Railroads.  He subsequently worked as a dispatcher for Universal Well Services and at Plaza Bowling Lanes and retired as a supervisor in food service at Allegheny College.

Butch was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Conneaut Lake.  He was a hard-working family man who loved to tell jokes and knew hundreds of them.  He would start many a conversation with “Hey, have I ever told you the one about…..”

Butch was an avid bowler and was inducted into the Western Crawford County Bowling Hall of Fame for his bowling achievements.  He served on the board of directors and was past president and tournament director of the Crawford County Junior Bowling Assoc. for 4 years.  During this time, the Meadville Junior Boys Division won two PA state championships.  The highlight of his bowling career was bowling a perfect 300 game.  In his later years, Butch took up golfing.  He liked to play the lottery and enjoyed sitting around the kitchen table playing cards with family and friends.

Survivors, in addition to his loving wife Paula of 47 years, include three daughters, Deborah Mailliard and her husband Steve, Kelly Gross and her husband Shawn, and Christy Johnson and her husband Tim, all of Meadville; two step-children that he loved as his own, Craig Smock and his wife Margie of New Jersey and Denise Smock Pifer and her husband Mike of North Carolina; eleven grandchildren, Nicole Durham, Kimberly Scott, Courtney Rodriquez, Logan Gross, Kelsie, Trevor, and Tori Johnson, Madeline and Megan Smock, and Ryan and Cameron Pifer; eight great-grandchildren; a sister, Christine Wasson and her husband William of Ohio and Florida; a sister-in-law, Linda Melenson Gregory of California; a nephew, William Wasson of Ohio; two nieces, Linda Wasson Biscup of Ohio and Angela Roberts Young of North Carolina; and his long-time friend, Jim Hickernell of Meadville.

Calling hours will be Monday from 12 to 2 p.m. at the ROBERT W. WAID FUNERAL HOME, 581 CHESTNUT ST., MEADVILLE where the funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. with the Rev. Dave Brumagin, Associate Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, officiating.

Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Harmonsburg.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.waidfuneralhome.net.