John Masternick 1925-2009
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GIRARD - John Masternick, 83, of Girard, died at his home on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009.
He was the owner of Windsor House Inc. and was a pioneer in the nursing home industry. Together with his wife, Dorothy Fritz Masternick, they developed and operated more than 20 nursing homes in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia while employing more than 1,500 people, primarily in the Mahoning Valley.
He has been active in the Northeastern Ohio Nursing Home Association, the Ohio Health Care Association, The Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, The American Health Care Association and the National Health Lawyers Association. This year marked his 50th year in the nursing home business.
Born Aug. 11, 1925, in Girard, Ohio, he was the ninth of 10 children of Joseph and Theresa Fortunato Masternick.
He was a 1943 graduate of Girard High School, veteran of World War II and received four battle stars while serving in Italy, France, Germany and Belgium.
He founded the Italian-American World War Veterans Post 9 in Girard, was a member of the Catholic War Vets and the American Legion.
Attorney Masternick graduated from the Youngstown College of Law in 1955. While in law school, he served as justice of the peace, and later was elected judge of the Girard County Court. He was the youngest elected judge in Trumbull County history. He also served as prosecutor, city solicitor and law director in Girard.
He practiced law from 1955 through 1981 in Warren and Girard, having been associated or in partnership one time in the law firm of DelBene, Masternick, LaPolla and Thomas. He was a member of the Trumbull County Bar Association, Mahoning County Bar Association, Ohio State and American Bar Associations and served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association.
Attorney Masternick was a lifelong member of St. Rose Church where he served on many committees over the years and was an advocate of Catholic school education. He established the St. Rose School Scholarship Fund, Girard High School Scholarship Fund and several nursing scholarship funds, including the Jameson Memorial Nursing School and Youngstown State University School of Nursing.
He was a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus, and was very active in the Cursillo movement. He was the only nonmember to receive the Paul Harris Fellow from the Girard-Liberty Rotary, as well as many other awards.
Besides his wife of 59 years, the former Dorothy Fritz, whom he married June 25, 1949, he leaves two sons, Jeffrey (Terry) and Attorney John J.(Melissa); two daughters, Maria Masternick and Theresa (Leo) Grimes; and eight grandchildren, John Colby, Daniel, Ken, John Michael, Christopher, Alyssa, Kevin and Amy.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Santa Macchione and Eleanor Shelton; and seven brothers, Frank, James, Louis, Nicholas, Joseph, Sam and Larry.
Calling hours will be 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McClurkin Funeral Home, Girard.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m. Friday at St. Rose Church with prayers 10:30 at the funeral home.
Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Austintown.
Donations may be made in John's name to the St. Rose School Trust Fund, St. Mary's Alzheimer's Foundation or The Beatitude House.
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