Melanie Loose

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” 2 TIMOTHY 4:7
Melanie (Zapotocky) Loose, 86, of Athens, Pennsylvania, passed away on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at Sayre Health Care Center in Sayre, PA. She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 61 years, William R. Loose; children Vincent (Ruth) Loose of Mechanicsburg, PA, Ann Marie Loose of Apalachin, NY and William D. (Marlene) Loose of Kingston, PA ; grandsons: Brian, Eric, Andrew and Grant Loose. She is also survived by brother-in-law Joseph Loose and sister-in-law Margaret (Philip) Johnston of Reading, PA and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parent Joseph and Anna (Taras) Zapotocky; sisters Anna Hopko, Mary Suflita and Helen Grecko; brothers Michael and John Zapotocky. Born December 23, 1931 in Binghamton, NY, Melanie was a January 1950 graduate of Binghamton Central High School. While a resident of Binghamton, she was a choir member and soloist at Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church and Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church and studied opera for several years in Binghamton and New York City. As a voice student in New York City she had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall. On May 6, 1956, she married William and moved to his hometown of Reading, PA where they lived for 42 years before moving to Athens, PA. Melanie was a loving wife, mother and grandmother who always put the needs of her family first and was proud of their accomplishments. She was the costumer for the Muhlenberg High School spring musicals for 26 years and was an accomplished needle worker. Melanie was also a wonderful cook and baker to the delight of her family. She spent time each summer at the family cottage on Skaneateles Lake. Melanie loved to travel and was always ready to take a trip. Melanie loved music, enjoyed reading and researched family genealogy with her daughter, visiting many ancestral towns and villages in Europe, including her father’s village of Semetkovce, (Austria-Hungary) Slovakia and her mother’s town of Labowa, (Austria-Hungary) Poland.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday 10 am at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 801 Main Street, Vestal. Burial will be in Holy Spirit Catholic Cemetery, Binghamton at a later date. The family will receive friends at the Allen Memorial Home, 511-513 East Main Street, Endicott, Monday from 4-6 pm. Memorial contributions in Melanie’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.