John Balash of 7221 Drake Stateline Rd. Burghill, OH (Hartford Twp.), went home to be with the Lord at 6:05 p.m. Tuesday, October 25, 2011 in his residence with family by his side. He was 85.

He was born on November 7, 1925 in Sharon, PA the son of Paul and Elizabeth Hudak Balash.

John attended Farrell High School. At 17, he enlisted in the United States Army and served from 1942 to 1944.

Following the war, John came back to the area and was employed at Westinghouse Transformer Division for 34 years. He retired in 1986.

He was a member of Victory Christian Center, Lowellville. Mr. Balash enjoyed square and line dancing. He loved the outdoors whether it was bird watching or working in his garden. John invested a lot of time into his own nutrition and health through holistic methods. Most importantly he loved spending time and visiting with his family and extended family, especially his grandchildren.

His wife, Pauline Beader Balash, whom he married June 6, 1953, passed away on March 21, 1987.

He is survived by a daughter, Diane Marrie and her husband Terry of Hermitage, PA; 2 sons, John M. Balash of Burghill, OH, and Richard P. Balash of Albuquerque, NM; 5 grandchildren, Shane, Allison, Paulina, Jonathan, and Christa; a great grandson, Chanstun.

In addition to his parents and wife, John was preceded in death by a sister, Elizabeth Balash.

Calling hours will be from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2011 in the J. Bradley McGonigle Funeral Home and Crematory Inc. 1090 E. State St. Sharon, PA 16146.

A funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, October 29, 2011 in the funeral home chapel with David Thomas, pastor of Victory Christian Center, Lowellville, OH.

Interment will follow in Oakwood Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the MVI Home Care, 4891 Belmont Ave. Youngstown, OH 44505.

To view his obituary on line or to post a tribute to his family, visit our web site www.McGonigleFuneralHomeandCrematory.com