Obituary of George Pytel

George Pytel, 80, of Pine Grove Mills, died Monday, October 23, 2017, at home. Born April 3, 1937, in Shade Twp., Somerset County, he was the son of the late Joseph and Anna Krupka Pytel. On May 26, 1962, in Windber, PA, George married Joanne Susan Matta, who preceded him in death on August 6, 2013. George is survived by his son, Daniel Pytel and his wife, Anissa, of Julian; daughter, Lydia B. Walker of Enola; three grandchildren, Tiffany Walker, Nicholas Pytel, and Olivia Pytel. He is survived by his sister Sophie, as well as his brothers Joe and Pete. He is preceded in death by his sister Mary and brothers Stanley, Mike, and Frank. After graduating from Shade Township High School in 1956, he proudly joined the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharge in 1960. He worked for HRB Singer before taking a position with the Applied Research Laboratory where he worked until his retirement in 1999. Being an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and mushroom hunting. He also loved spending time with his grandchildren and taking family vacations to Chincoteague, VA where he would crab, fish, clam, and feast on all the fresh seafood he caught. Cooking and wine making were other passions he had and was known for his delicious and potent wine. He was always volunteering and served in many ways with the Knights of Columbus and Ferguson Township Lions Club. If there was a dinner you would always find George working in the kitchen. Giving was in his blood. He was most proud of his years serving the people of Ferguson Township and the Centre Region. He started serving the township in 1969 and continued to serve until his passing. His passion for making a difference and giving back to the community is well known. He was proud to watch Ferguson Township become one of the top places to live in America (and he had the newspaper article to prove it). He lived life to its fullest and had even traveled to the North Pole. He will be missed by his family and the community but left this earth knowing that he had made a difference. A visitation will be held from 9:30a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and 6:00p.m. until 8:00p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. A Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:00 am, Saturday, October 28, 2017 at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 820 Westerly Parkway, State College. Burial will be Private in Pine Grove Mills Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be directed to Centre County PAWS, 1401 Trout Rd, State College, PA 16801, or Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy, 901 Boalsburg Pike, Boalsburg, PA 16827, in memory of George Pytel. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.