Richard J. “Rick aka Smitty” Szczerbowicz, 80, of Shenandoah Heights, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 21st at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Schuylkill East, Pottsville.

Born in Shenandoah, he was a son of the late John and Mary (Samoroj) Szczerbowicz. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, John Starr and a sister, Mary Jo Zuber.

Rick is survived by his loving wife, Kathleen (Morris) Szczerbowicz, with whom he shared 58 years of marriage.

He is also survived by a daughter, Kathleen Beaulieu and her husband, Cristian, of New Cumberland; and a son, Richard Szczerbowicz Jr., of Norristown; four grandchildren, Adeliene, Kandie, Trekk, and William, as well as nieces and nephews.

Rick was devoted Catholic and member of Divine Mercy Parish, Shenandoah.

Rick lived a life defined by unwavering dedication, quiet pride, and deep devotion to the people and places he loved.

His work life began at Westinghouse in Baltimore, where he worked on electrical systems for space satellites—a piece of history he shared with great pride. Upon returning to Pennsylvania with his young family, Rick became a lineman for PPL. Known as a hard worker, he never turned down a call-out, traveling near and far through severe storms to restore power and light to communities in need. He retired after 40 years of service.

A true Coal Cracker through and through, Rick was fiercely loyal to his roots. His passions were simple and heartfelt. He found peace sitting by the lake, quietly "drowning a worm", as he called it. He and Kas followed the Shenandoah Valley Blue Devils long after their own children graduated. He was a diehard Penn State football fan. Famous for his corny dad jokes, his family knows them all by heart. "How are you doing?... Sew-sew, like a tailor". "Have you heard about the fire at the shoe factory? ...Many soles were lost".

Above all else, family was Rick's absolute priority. Married to his high school sweetheart, Kas, as he called her. He consistently put the needs and well-being of his loved ones first. He and Kas traveled constantly to visit family and support or cheer on their grandchildren at their various activities. When encouraged to move closer to family later in life, his love for his hometown remained unshakable: He often stated, "I was born here and I'll die here". Supported tirelessly by his family, friends, and neighbors, Rick passed away peacefully with his beloved Kas by his side. He left behind a legacy of hard work, loyalty, and deep love.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 28th at Divine Mercy Parish, 218 W. Cherry Street, Shenandoah. A visitation will be held at the church from 8:00 until the time of mass on Friday morning. Interment will follow in St. Casimir’s Catholic Cemetery, Shenandoah Heights.

A special thank you to the many healthcare professionals who cared for Rick and supported Kas along this journey, including Urology and Oncology teams at Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Home Health and Hospice caregivers, the compassionate staff at The Gardens at York Terrace, and the ED and inpatient staffs at Lehigh Valley Schuylkill East

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made, in Rick’s name, to Advantage Home Health and Hospice who cared for him while at home and Compassus Hospice who cared for him while he resided at The Gardens at York Terrace.

Sign the guest book, leave personal condolences, and for further information, please visit www.thomasmsullivanfuneralhome.com.

The Thomas M. Sullivan Funeral Home, Inc., Frackville, is in charge of arrangements