Marian Frances Feath

Marian Frances Feath, of Johnstown, died on September 17, 2022 in Johnstown. Marian was a mother, elementary school teacher, school board member and devoted parishioner at St. Rochus Catholic church.

She is survived by her children Robert G. (Frankfurt, Germany); Mary Jo Hueston (Toms River, NJ); and Amy L. (Wilmington, NC) as well as her grandson Nathan J. Musselman (Cocoa Beach, FL). She was preceded in death in 2004 by her husband of 48 years, Robert M., also a teacher at Westmont Hilltop.

Marian, the granddaughter of four immigrants from Czechoslovakia, was the first in her extended family to attend college. She graduated summa cum laude from California State Teachers College (today’s Pennsylvania Western University, California) in 1954, where she was also Phi Beta Kappa. She was passionate about her family & friends, her nostalgia for summers spent on the family farm with her Gramma Methodia, her students, education generally and reading specifically, her beloved St. Rochus and her co-parishioners, her books, the Johnstown Public Library, her flowers, her baking (crusts to die for), her TV Westerns and the ‘Mountain Men’, her fear of flying and her coffee morning, noon or night (“just a slug”). She was often vocal about those passions and was likely to be somewhat more vocal if they were crossed.

She possessed a huge heart, a keen intellect, a shrewd take on world events, an empathetic understanding of personal dilemmas, and a wicked sharp wit. Marian was an occasional baseball fan (silencing a leather-lunged heckler of fellow Donoran Stan Musial at Forbes Field in the late ‘40s with a fierce, “C’mon, Uncle Stan !”) but she bumped it up several notches during the Pirates’ late ‘60s / early ‘70s glory years. In October 1972, the Tribune Democrat published her poem lauding Roberto Clemente’s 3,000th hit but her fandom faded after he tragically passed less than three months later. She rekindled her interest during the Pirates mini resurgence earlier this century. Football and the Steelers, not so much as she was prone to point out. Marian’s legacy includes deep & abiding friendships, several generations of delighted students, numerous reading teachers she trained and counseled, a raft of homespun reading characters called the Loveables including Silky, Scruffy, BT & co., and countless books donated to Johnstown’s library.

Her family would like to acknowledge the wonderful professionals who delivered the warm care and indulged the feisty, witty interactions she enjoyed so much during her 15 months at Arbutus Park Manor. She will be missed dearly.

A Celebration of her Life will be held at 12 Noon on Saturday, October 15, 2022 with friends received to follow till 3 PM, at Frank Duca Funeral Home, Westmont Chapel, 1622 Menoher Blvd. Johnstown PA 15905.She will be interred at Grandview Cemetery, next to her loving husband, his peaceful eternal rest now at some risk. We trust that Heaven is ready.

Condolences and other information can be found at www.ducafuneralhome.com.

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