Martha "Marty" Shirlene (Shawley) Tokarski

      Martha (Marty) Shirlene Tokarski, 83, of Linesville, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 11, 2019 at Sharon Regional Medical Center, after a courageous battle with Pulmonary Hypertension. 

     Born November 27, 1935, in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania (Greene County), she was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Belford) Shawley.  She married Richard Tokarski on August 3, 1957, at the Eglin Air Force Base Chapel in Fort Walton, Florida. 

     Martha was a 1954 graduate of McKeesport High School and then went on to be a Licensed Practical Nurse.  She served our country in the United States Air Force (WAF).  She worked at Magee Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh and later at Allegheny General Hospital.  Martha worked private duty nursing while raising her family.  Later she worked at Sisters of Divine Providence in McCandless.  

     She was a member of St. Philip Roman Catholic Church in Linesville. She LOVED bingo and assisted with bingo at St. Philip’s for many years.   Martha was also involved in the Linesville Food Pantry, the Sunshine Girls Club, the Brownies and Girl Scouts as a leader, and was an officer in the TOPS Club.   

     She was an amazing homemaker and a phenomenal cook.  She devoted her life to serving others starting at home.   Martha was a good listener, gentle, humble and kind and will be greatly missed by all that knew her. 

     Survivors include her loving husband of 62 years, Richard Tokarski; six children, Dennis Tokarski and his wife, Cara, of Irwin, Wendy Cooney and her husband, Jim, of New Castle, Sherry Matous of Bellevue, Linda Dankert and her husband, John, of Wellsville, Ohio, Susan Herndon and her husband, Jeff, of Winter Garden, Florida, and Russell Tokarski and his wife, Tara, of St. Cloud, Florida; 14 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Estella Fisher of Streetsboro, Ohio. 

     She was preceded in death by her parents; a step-father, Grover (Pete) Kughn; a brother, George (Zeke) Shawley; a son-in-law, Mike Matous; and a sister-in-law, Mary Evelyn Brink. 

     Friends and family can call on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at Royal-Coleman Funeral Home, 6028 U.S. Highway 6, Linesville. 

     A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Philip Roman Catholic Church, 401 S. Mercer St., Linesville with Father Chris Hamlett as celebrant. 

     Burial with full military honors will follow in St. Philip Cemetery. 

     Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association at phassociation.org.

     Please share a condolence or memory of Martha for the family at royalcolemanfuneralhome.com.

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