John J. Turcik

John Joseph Turcik passed away Tuesday, October 6th, at home with his family after a long and valiant battle with cancer. He was born in New York City to John and Pauline Turcik, immigrants from Slovakia, attended Fordham University, and set off for Kenya, where he met his wife of 46 years, Priscilla, a teacher from England. Together they came back and raised their four children in Ligonier, including John Edward, Peter, Elizabeth, and Tim. He retired in 2024 after 33 years working at R.K. Mellon & Sons. He served as a trustee for the Mellon Foundation, and took great pride in helping with numerous community projects locally and nationwide. He truly believed in the value of education and personal development, serving as a trustee for the Valley School of Ligonier, board member for the Ligonier YMCA, as well as being involved with numerous other schools and institutions in the area. Many in town knew him as “Coach Turcik”, and it brought him great joy to help kids to learn and improve in football, soccer, baseball, and basketball. He is survived by his wife, children, their spouses, Caitlin, Kelly, and Tom, grandchildren, Rowan and Serena, his sister, Pauline, and a large and loving extended family. In lieu of a service, he chose to celebrate his life recently by hosting a “Slovak Soirée”, surrounded by his closest friends and family. Please keep John and his family in your thoughts during this difficult time.