Concetta Libonati, 81, passed away peacefully Monday after a lengthy illness in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, Wilkes-Barre.
She was predeceased by her father, Ralph Libonati; her mother, Rose (Pecora) Libonati; her sister, Mary Lou (Libonati) Donlan and her husband, James; an infant brother, Francis P.; niece, Cynthia Donlan; and a grandnephew, Danny Cunnington.
She is survived by her brother, Francis P. and his wife, Jacquelyn; nieces, Kathleen Brekke and her husband, Jerry, attorney Genene Libonati-Ritz and her husband, Bob, and Jessica Getsie and her husband, Brian; a nephew, James Donlan and his wife, Lisa; as well as several cousins, grandnieces and grandnephews.
As the middle child, Concetta was the crutch on which her extended family and loved ones leaned throughout her life. She was a self-sufficient, independent, self-sacrificing sibling who provided love and support for her older sister and became a role model and nurturer to her younger brother.
Many of her professional associates may not be cognizant of the fact that Concetta exhibited athletic prowess during her formative years, performing very well in softball and basketball, but she was among the many young girls in the 1950s for whom varsity sports rarely existed. In addition, she excelled scholastically. A voracious reader who possessed an insatiable desire to learn, Concetta graduated in the top 10 of her class of 400 students at Hazleton High School, Class of 1953.
A devoted catholic, Concetta was a life member of Queen of Heaven Parish at Our Lady of Grace Church in Hazleton.
A few months following graduation, Concetta was appointed to a secretarial position at the former Hazleton High School. This commenced a four-times-daily trek from 11th and Alter streets to Ninth and Wyoming streets, a journey which Concetta, some of whom would refer to as Connie, would make for four decades. During her tenure, she became the one constant in the school’s main office, having the privilege of serving as the administrative secretary to six principals during her glorious career, commencing with the late George Shanno and concluding with Rocco Mussoline.
Since her desk was situated at the front of the main office of Hazleton High School from 1953 until the school’s closing in 1992, she was always the steadying voice accompanied by a warm, radiant smile that soothed a new teacher’s concerns or comforted a harried student who couldn’t find the cafeteria. The inaugural year of the Hazleton Area High School, which opened its doors September 1992, changed Concetta’s daily walk in a different direction and presented her with a novel challenge. In her new assignment, which preceded her retirement, she served as the chief secretary to the guidance staff. Her retirement left a legacy which many aspiring support personnel would hope to emulate. She touched the lives of thousands of students, teachers and staff.
It was once said that memories are what provide us with roses in December. That being the case, Connie left us with dozens of bouquets of that most beautiful flower.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend Concetta’s Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Queen of Heaven Parish at Our Lady of Grace Church, 750 N. Vine St., Hazleton. Visitation will be held prior thereto from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass. Burial will be private at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery.
Joseph A. Moran Funeral Home, 229 W. 12th St., Hazleton, is in charge of the arrangements.