John F. Alcaraz

John F. Alcaraz, 88, of Mahanoy City, passed away on February 2, 2025, at Lehigh Valley – Schuylkill East Medical Center.

Born in Shenandoah on June 7, 1936, he was the son of the late Frank and Mary (Zangari) Alcaraz.

John was veteran of the United States Army where he served during the Korean War in the 82nd Airborne Division.  He worked in the local garment industry and for Jeld-Wen (Wenco) in Ringtown.

John was a member of the A.P Damato American Legion Post 792 where he proudly served on the Honor Guard for many years.  He was also very involved in fire service.  He was a member of the Rescue Hook & Ladder Fire Company in Shenandoah, as well as the Schuylkill County and 6 County Fire Associations.  John was also a member of the Greater Shenandoah Area Senior Citizens and St. Joseph’s Church in Girardville.  John truly enjoyed life.  He loved listening to the music of the 1950’s and 60’s and especially old country music.

Besides his parents, John was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Lois (Gibson) Alcaraz in 2019; 1 brother- Joseph Alcaraz; and 3 sisters- Mary McCole, Antoinette Swallow, and Annabelle Cannally.

The surviving family includes 2 sons- John G. Alcaraz with Alicia Cuff of Midloathian, VA and David F. Alcaraz of Pittston; 1 daughter- Lori Ann Alcaraz with Jay Richmond of Brandonville, PA; 4 brothers- Frank, Joseph, Tony, and Phillip Alcaraz; 1 sister- Cathy Oswald of NJ; 1 grandson- Alex John Alcaraz; 1 granddaughter- Alyssa Alcaraz; and several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of John’s life will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 10am to 12pm at the Oravitz Home for Funerals Inc, 40 N. Jardin St, Shenandoah.  Dress casually or even wear something to support your favorite sports team as John was a devout Pittsburgh Steelers fan. 

Burial with military honors will be held at the convenience of the family in Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in John’s memory may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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