Welcome to the memorial page for
John Worklan Jr.
July 8, 2011Share using:
WORKLAN, John Jr., 78, of Hopedale died Friday, July 8, 2011, in Weirton Medical Center after a long battle with complications from hip surgery.
Known to many as “JR,” he was the longtime owner of the former Hop Inn tavern near Bloomingdale and was a 50-plus year member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 186 in Steubenville. In the 1950s he played a key role in designing a bridge over the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, NY, as part of the Niagara power project. As a superintendent at the Sammis Plant in Stratton in the 1960s, he oversaw and performed much of the high work during the construction of the plant’s cooling towers. He topped off the towers at 800 feet. He had also helped build most of the bridges on Rt. 22 in Jefferson and Harrison counties during the expansion of the road into a four-lane highway. It was during that work in 1969 that he survived a fall of 42 feet from the Rt. 152 Bloomingdale overpass, landing on a boulder and suffering severe injuries.
A 1950 graduate of Hopedale High School, Worklan was a decorated Army veteran of the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart and serving in the 25th Infantry Division.
He is survived by his wife, Marlene, of Hopedale with whom he would have celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary later this year; a son, Janis (MaryFrances Colabella-Worklan) Worklan of Wintersville; a daughter, Dana (Daniel) McIntosh of Hopedale; three grandchildren, Ian, Cameron, and Mia McIntosh of Hopedale; one nephew, Joe (Jane) Worklan of Tacoma, WA; and several brothers- and sisters-in-law, Frank and Kate Bernosky of Athens, Melvin and Mary Garrett of Massillon, Shirley Hammack of Hopedale, Rudy Rodich of Cadiz, and Melvin and Kay Rodich of Cadiz. The son of the late John Worklan Sr. and Josephine Wuchetich Worklan, he was preceded in death by one brother, Joe.
He was a lifetime member of Hopedale American Legion Post 682, a charter member of the former Croatian Cultural Club in Benwood, WV; and former member of Cadiz Eagles.
Friends will be received at Borkoski Funeral Home, 555 East Market Street, Cadiz, Ohio, on Monday 6-8 p.m. and also on Tuesday July 12, 2011 from 12 noon until the time of services at 3:00 p.m. Military Honors will be provided by Hopedale American Legion Post# 682
Memorial Contributions may be made to: Hopedale Baseball Association, P.O. Box 35, Hopedale, Ohio. Offer online condolences at www.borkoskifuneral.com
Known to many as “JR,” he was the longtime owner of the former Hop Inn tavern near Bloomingdale and was a 50-plus year member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 186 in Steubenville. In the 1950s he played a key role in designing a bridge over the Niagara River in Niagara Falls, NY, as part of the Niagara power project. As a superintendent at the Sammis Plant in Stratton in the 1960s, he oversaw and performed much of the high work during the construction of the plant’s cooling towers. He topped off the towers at 800 feet. He had also helped build most of the bridges on Rt. 22 in Jefferson and Harrison counties during the expansion of the road into a four-lane highway. It was during that work in 1969 that he survived a fall of 42 feet from the Rt. 152 Bloomingdale overpass, landing on a boulder and suffering severe injuries.
A 1950 graduate of Hopedale High School, Worklan was a decorated Army veteran of the Korean War, earning a Purple Heart and serving in the 25th Infantry Division.
He is survived by his wife, Marlene, of Hopedale with whom he would have celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary later this year; a son, Janis (MaryFrances Colabella-Worklan) Worklan of Wintersville; a daughter, Dana (Daniel) McIntosh of Hopedale; three grandchildren, Ian, Cameron, and Mia McIntosh of Hopedale; one nephew, Joe (Jane) Worklan of Tacoma, WA; and several brothers- and sisters-in-law, Frank and Kate Bernosky of Athens, Melvin and Mary Garrett of Massillon, Shirley Hammack of Hopedale, Rudy Rodich of Cadiz, and Melvin and Kay Rodich of Cadiz. The son of the late John Worklan Sr. and Josephine Wuchetich Worklan, he was preceded in death by one brother, Joe.
He was a lifetime member of Hopedale American Legion Post 682, a charter member of the former Croatian Cultural Club in Benwood, WV; and former member of Cadiz Eagles.
Friends will be received at Borkoski Funeral Home, 555 East Market Street, Cadiz, Ohio, on Monday 6-8 p.m. and also on Tuesday July 12, 2011 from 12 noon until the time of services at 3:00 p.m. Military Honors will be provided by Hopedale American Legion Post# 682
Memorial Contributions may be made to: Hopedale Baseball Association, P.O. Box 35, Hopedale, Ohio. Offer online condolences at www.borkoskifuneral.com
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