Obituary of John David Cermak

A Great Husband and Dad John David Cermak, age 87, passed away on Saturday December 10, 2016 at Golden Living-Western Reserve Nursing Facility. He was born in Erie on April 19, 1949, the oldest son of the late Ignatius and Mary Hlavenka Cermak. John Graduated from East High School’s class of 1947 and worked for the Hays Manufacturing Company on 12th street for 28 years until Zurn Industries moved that operation to Gastonia, NC. John decided to stay in Erie for family reasons and landed a union job at GE in Erie, where he worked until his retirement. John was a resilient man and lived an active life despite being challenged with a “bum leg” due to a right knee joint that was fused as a result of a childhood battle with Osteomyelitis. He bowled at the Nuova Aurora Club for many years, played on golf leagues with Hays and GE and bowled at the Siebenbuerger Club on a couple’s league with his wife Lois. He enjoyed gardening and planted many fruit trees around his family’s home in McKean. He also enjoyed hunting and especially fishing and spent many summer days fishing on Lake Erie with his boys. He was an intrepid seaman and took his little boats out on many days when small craft advisories kept others on shore. He also enjoyed music and although he only “played the radio” he encouraged all his children to learn an instrument and attended many of their performances over the years. John was preceded in death by his sisters, Mary R. Haaf, Anne Yarbenet and Josephine Neduchal. Survivors include his wife Lois R. Tome-Cermak; and their children, John P. Cermak and his wife Leslie Amann-Cermak, Gerald A. Cermak and Lisa M. Cermak-DeSaw and her husband Shawn DeSaw. Grandchildren include Lisa & Shawn’s sons, Logan & Avery and John & Leslie’s sons, Adam, Kyle Tadda and Alex Tadda. Other survivors include John’s brothers, William Cermak and his wife Agnes of Erie and Paul G. Cermak and his wife Beatrice of Land ‘O Lakes, FL. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. 4216 Sterrettania Rd. on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM. Additional calling hours will be held on Friday morning at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Rt. 99 McKean, from 9:00 AM until the time of the Funeral Mass at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children 1645 W 8th St. Erie, PA 16505.