North Huntingdon woman had passion for travel

Eileen Vlasick and her husband, Tom, achieved a feat many people only dream of doing — visiting all 50 states.

While not a goal they initially set for themselves, the couple’s passion for travel took off after they started driving to Denver to visit their sons, stopping to explore towns and traveling back roads along the way.

After visiting Florida over several years for family vacations and taking AARP trips to New England, they decided to keep going, saying, “We only have a few more states,” their daughter, Mary Mathis said. Her parents had opportunities to take an Alaskan cruise, visit friends in California and see their sons when they lived in Tennessee and Colorado.

“They loved it,” Mathis said. “They loved the driving. My mother did most of the driving and my mother would find all these neat places they’d go to.”

Mathis added, “They just enjoyed that and I’m so blessed and thankful my mom and dad were able to do that together,” noting that her parents were together for 60 years.

Mrs. Eileen M. Vlasick, 90, of North Huntingdon died Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Born in Wyano on Jan. 3, 1930, she was the daughter of John and Stella Oberc.

Mrs. Vlasick volunteered with the Norwin Band and served as a founding member of St. Agnes Church in North Huntingdon.

She worked 13 years in food service at Norwin School District, retiring in 1992.

“She loved her job, she loved spending time with the kids,” Mathis said. “We were all in the Norwin Band and she was a band booster, a band aid. She didn’t travel as much with me … but she did travel so very much when my brothers were in (the band).”

Mrs. Vlasick was involved in Boy Scouts, AARP Chapter 3221 and Christian Mothers.

She was able to grow a strong bond with Mathis’ children, who grew up next door.

“She really doted on them and they just loved her back,” Mathis said, adding that she was able to learn some cooking skills from her mother, but noting that her mother excelled at baking, especially nut rolls and apricot cookies.

In her free time, Mrs. Vlasick enjoyed gardening.

In addition to Mathis, she is survived by two sons, Thomas Jr. and Paul Vlasick, a daughter, Eileen Vlasick, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Friends will be received from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at James W. Shirley Funeral Home, 176 Clay Pike, North Huntingdon. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Agnes Church. Entombment to follow in Penn Lincoln Memorial Park.

Donations can be made to the White Oak Animal Safe Haven no-kill shelter.