Ethel Swartz

Ethel Swartz passed peacefully from this earth on the morning of April 8, 2025, with the support of her family and the amazing care team at the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA. The family cannot express enough how grateful we are for the efforts made and for providing her comfort at the end.

Ethel was born on June 1, 1933, to Michael and Elizabeth (Legaza) Futchko. Ethel lived in the Schuylkill County area all of her life, raised in St. Clair and also residing in Minersville and Pottsville, PA. Ethel met and married Robert (Bob) Swartz on July 9,1955 and together they raised sons Brian and John in Minersville, PA. Ethel spent the first half of her life as a loving wife, mother and homemaker. Later in life, Ethel began a career with the Minersville School District, working her magic with food across many cafeterias, much to the joy of students year over year. A single word used over and over again to describe Ethel was spunky – even into her earlier 90’s she remained active and amazed everyone with her energy and spark – running circles around many much younger than her!

Ethel was accomplished in many things such as being an amazing seamstress, making everything from clothes to curtains. Ethel was also famous in the family for traditional holiday treats such as apple cake, perogies, halupkis and, if you were lucky enough to get a box, peanut butter chocolate eggs that arrived every Easter. In addition to these things, Ethel very much enjoyed trips to area casinos, where she would find her Lucky 7’s slot machine and spend hours pulling the lever with one hand, while holding her lucky troll doll in the other – she enjoyed a good penny slot machine as well. Ethel also enjoyed her lottery “rubbies” and loved sharing that joy by giving family tickets with the hopes of us hitting it big!

Ethel was predeceased by her parents, Michael and Elizabeth, her husband Robert and siblings John, George, Michael, Andrew, Irene (Futchko) Thur, Elizabeth (Lee Futchko) Tomko, Eleanor (Futchko) Youshock, and Mary Cernesky. Ethel is survived by sons Brian (Pine Grove, PA) and John and Jamie Swartz (Wilmington, DE), sisters Annie (Futchko) Peiffer, Barbara (Futchko) Kuneiga, Dorothy (Futchko) Stranko, grandchildren Diana Sorokach, Brant Swartz, Sarah Swartz and great-granddaughter Whitten Sorokach. Other surviving family members include several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins all of which Ethel loved dearly.

A Visitation shall be held Monday, April 14th from 9:00 to 11:00 am at the Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., Minersvillle. A Catholic Funeral Rite will follow with Rev. Hubert Asante Kumi, officiant. Interment Schuylkill Memorial Park.

 As a devote and deeply religious member of St. Patricks Catholic Church, the family requests donations be made in lieu of flowers to support the ongoing work of catholic charities. Contact information: St. Patricks Church, 319 Mahantongo Street, Pottsville, PA 17901 – website: stpatrickpottsville.org

Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., Minersvillle entrusted with the arrangements.

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