Joseph Francis Gregasavitch

Joseph "Gabe" F. Gregasavitch passed away on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at St. Lukes Pavilion in Hazleton, PA.  He was 83 years old.  Joseph was born on October 30, 1940, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hazleton, PA.  Despite his birth certificate, he often liked to convince himself and others that he was born on Halloween, to which they obliged because it made the holiday that much more thrilling.  In fact, he took great pride in wearing a scary costume and spooking his grandchildren before they set off for trick-or-treating. 

On September 13, 1975, Joseph married the love of his life, Joann Zawatski.  Their love was straight from a fairytale.  This September would have been their 49th anniversary.  Joseph and Joann led a simple yet perfect life together.  Cooking was always a collaboration: on holidays, Joann and Joseph prepared dinner and dessert for their daughter, her daughter's husband, Joseph, and their grandchildren.  Joann and Joseph were early birds.  They often began their mornings at 3:00 AM, where they sat comfortably with a cup of coffee in hand, seemingly never running out of conversation.  Even in silence, their love for one another was evident. With the glimpse of an eye, crinkle of smile, or a nod of the head, they knew what they were saying without a word spoken.  In fact, they were commonly known as "the lovebirds" on their floor of the nursing home because of their irrevocable love for one another. 

Joseph was enlisted in the army where he served in both Thailand and Hawaii.  He was captain of the football team in Hawaii while in service.  Upon his discharge from the army, he was foreman at J. Bass. 

Joseph could never resist a piece of chocolate.  Whether it was chocolate cake, a chocolate donut, or chocolate pudding, his love for chocolate was undeniable.  Joseph also had a passion for baseball, with his favorite team being the New York Yankees.  In fact, it was rare to see him without a Yankees hat on his head.  He often enjoyed baseball games with his grandson, Ashton, whom he also taught how to hit and catch a baseball.  Joseph also adored drawing, which his daughter Marissa, like him, picked up naturally.  He often drew portraits of his wife, grandchildren, daughter, and his beloved Schnauzer Julie.  Joseph was an exemplary father who often retold one of his fondest memories with his daughter, Marissa, of the first time he took her figure skating at a pond in Drifton.  Each time Joseph recited the story, the celestial pools of his blue eyes lit with excitement.  He described how she tied her skates, stood atop the frozen pond, and within minutes, became a natural at figure skating.  With a cheery smile he remarked, "All of a sudden, I turned around and oh boyyyy there she goes! Woowee! I have never seen anything like it before!" His face beamed with enthusiasm as he relived the cherished memory.  Joseph saw himself in his daughter; compassionate, diligent, strong-willed, and most of all, fearless.

Joseph never ran out of jokes.  Amongst his most common were: "Do you think it'll rain if it stays like this?", "Do you ever say to yourself, 'self'?", and his grimmest joke while driving past the cemetery, "How many people do you think are dying to get in there?".  Despite how many times he repeated these lines, he always found himself chuckling at his own jokes. 

Preceding him in death was his father Joseph "Farmer" Gregasavitch and his mother Rita Sharkey.  He is survived by his wife, Joann, his daughter, Marissa, his son-in-law Joseph, his grandchildren Ashton, Gianna, Lilah, Brooklyn, and Greyson, his sister-in-law Arlene Zawatski, his brother-in-law William Zawatski, his sister Sara Bielen, and his brother Francis “Slugger”.  He loved his grandchildren tremendously.  Joseph's grandchildren referred to him as Pappap.  Joseph was there for every moment of his grandchildren's lives; from when they were born, babysitting them, and picking them up from school to attending every sports game, dance recital, and vocal performance imaginable.  Joseph played a pivotal role in his grandchildren's childhoods from playing hide-and-go-seek in the dark, teaching them how to play baseball, watching thunderstorms, observing squirrels and birds, to even building wooden swing for them along the branch of a green maple tree.  As he swung them higher and higher on the swing, they reached so high they could touch the branch above them.  With that, his grandchildren felt they could do anything in the whole wide world.  If one of his grandchildren were going to Mars one day, he would have believed them, because to him, nothing was unreachable, much like the branches atop the green maple tree his grandchildren effortlessly reached on the swing set. 

Each night, as Joann and Joseph lie under the fluorescent light of their room, with their beds scooched together as close as possible, they tightly gripped one another's hands, as they repeatedly tell each other, "I love you."  Their "I love you's" will forever linger in the air, in the clouds, in the sunshine, in the moon, and in the stars.  Joseph has left an ever-present tattoo on his family's hearts.  Each courageous act, display of kindness, roar of laughter, and the ability to love fiercely and tirelessly will remain a token of Joseph Gregasavitch that cannot be taken away. 

The family is grateful for the care Joseph received and wishes to thank the staff at St. Lukes Pavilion.  A special thanks to Chris, Bonnie, Lisette, Josette, and Fran and friends Ellen and Martha. 

The services for Joseph will be held privately at the convenience of his family.  Harman Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc. (East), 669 W. Butler Drive, Drums is assisting the family with the arrangements. 

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