Obituary of Carl S. Tranell Jr.

Carl Tranell, Jr., 74, of Boalsburg, PA, and formerly of Larksville, PA, passed away peacefully Tuesday, June 6, 2023 at Mount Nittany Medical Center surrounded by his loving family. The cause was pancreatic cancer.

Born November 21, 1948, in Nanticoke, PA, he was the son of the late Carl Tranell, Sr. and Josephine (Schultz) Tranell. He graduated from Nanticoke High School in 1966, where he made many beloved lifelong friends, and received his associate's degree from Luzerne County Community College. Before retiring, he was the owner of Tranell Brothers Distribution. He was a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Port Matilda, PA, and a former member of the Church of St. John the Baptist in Larksville.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Karen (Zolner) Tranell; son Jeff Tranell, and his wife Jen, of Stormstown, PA; daughter Kim Tranell and her husband, Josh Roth, of Brooklyn, NY; his brothers, Robert Tranell, of Nanticoke, Richard Tranell, of Clearwater, FL, and David Tranell, of Nanticoke; his five grandchildren, Nate, Nick, Noah, Theo ("TJ"), and Ruby; and his adoring dog, Rocky. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Carol Ann Tranell.

Family was everything to Carl. Better known as "Poppy," he prided himself on being a hands-on grandpa and was a tireless advocate for moving closer to your grandkids. In the 11 years since relocating to the State College area, he enjoyed picking up his grandsons from school and being a big part of their daily lives. Mere weeks before his diagnosis, he was down on the floor, playing with his two newest grandkids. His happy place was a family tailgate at Beaver Stadium on a crisp early fall day, and he enjoyed traveling the world with Karen—especially any trips that involved their children and grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the medical team that gave Carl such wonderful, compassionate care these past three months, as well as their Liberty Hill neighbors and his extended family by marriage—the Bauers, Zemans, Housers, and Roths—for their love and support during this difficult time.

Visitation will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Good Shepherd, 867 Gray's Woods Blvd., immediately followed by a Mass of Christian Burial. Afterward he will be laid to rest at Boalsburg Cemetery, just a stone's throw away from the route he loved walking daily with his Liberty Hill walking buddies.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund or the Families in Need Fund at Good Shepherd. Online condolences may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com or visit us on Facebook.