Edward R Krishack, 81, of Falling Waters WV passed away Saturday May 5th, 2018 surrounded by family. He bravely battled COPD for 20 years beating the odds of his original diagnosis of 2 years to live in 1998.

He was born on April 22, 1937 in Vestaburg, Pennsylvania, the son of the late Josef & Anna Dunas Kryszak. He tragically lost his parents at the age of 5 and he and siblings were placed in the State Orphanage. He spent years in and out of numerous foster homes and later was accepted into the Milton Hersey Boys School in Hershey, PA for 3 years. At the age of 16 he finally found a foster family that treated him like the parents he lost so young in life, who then moved him to Washington, Pennsylvania.

Edward graduated from Trinity High School of Washington, Pennsylvania in 1955 where he was a varsity linebacker for the Trinity Hillers. While attending high school he met the love of his life and future wife who attended the rival high school, Washington High. After graduation he moved to Cleveland, Ohio to look for work and enroll in college. There he attended Cuyahoga Community College and worked at US Steel.

November 24, 1955, Edward married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Pettit. Not soon after he was drafted into the United States Army, serving proudly until he was honorably discharged in 1963. Edward and Joanne had 2 children, Kimberly Ann and Stephan Edward. Last November he was very proud to celebrate their 62nd wedding anniversary.

Edward was a very successful self-made businessman, and while working at US Steel he formed Krishack Insurance Agency selling insurance part-time until the agency expanded enough for him to become a full-time agent. Years later the day-to-day operations at the insurance agency were then turned over to his wife Joanne so that he could focus on his new business venture, Holk Development Construction where he worked in Cleveland steel mills and new building construction. He transitioned the construction business into federal contracting, opening a branch office in Washington, DC in 1985 where the company worked in exclusive federal & DoD Facilities including the Pentagon and White House.

In 2006 after retirement, Edward and Joanne moved to Falling Waters, West Virginia to be involved full time in his business for breeding and racing thoroughbred horses. Over the years he bred many successful race horses and raced horses in tracks throughout the Eastern United States. One of his most successful horses was Fred High, who won many big races including the 2013 West Virginia’s Breeders Classic.

He is survived by his wife, Joanne; his son Stephan (Michelle) Krishack and daughter Kimberly (Patrick) Reilly and foster brother Don (Marsha) Draper. He is a grandfather to Tanya Krishack, Edward (Fernanda) Krishack, Danny (Amanda) Hughes, Mason Krishack, John Patrick (JP) Reilly, Andrew (Andy) Reilly and Kathleen (Katie) Reilly. He is a great-grandfather to Mia & Penelope Krishack and Tyler& Ashley Hughes. He is an uncle to Jesse, Paula, Cindy, Leadonna, Salyana, John and Sarah.

Preceding him in death in addition to his parents are his foster parents, Vlasta and Joseph Draper, Sr., brother Joseph Krishack, sister Helen Krishack Williams, foster brother Joseph Draper, Jr., and his oldest brother Stephan who is still missing in action from the Korean War.

Family will receive friends on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home with service to follow at 4:00 p.m.

Wake services will be held on Friday, May 11, 2018, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Piatt & Barnhill Funeral Home, 420 Locust Avenue, Washington, PA 15301. Interment will be in West Union Cemetery, Dunn’s Station, Pennsylvania, Saturday, May 12, 2018.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edward Richard Krishack, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.