Phillip J. “Buck” Hendrickson, 58, of Ironwood Township, Mich., died unexpectedly Nov. 12, 2015, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem.

Phil was born June 10, 1957, in Wakefield, Mich., one of seven children to Phillip and Ruth (Helmes) Hendrickson. He graduated from Luther L. Wright High School, in Ironwood, in 1975 and continued on to Gogebic Community College. He finished his education at Michigan Technological University, Houghton Mich., in 1979, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering. He worked for US Steel in Minnesota for more than 3 years and moved to Pennsylvania with wife Carol (Hill), whom he married in 1977, and son Cory and daughter Jamie. He worked for Coplay Cement of Nazareth for a time then joined Maurer & Scott, Inc., of Coopersburgas, a licensed blaster since 1986 to the present time.  While at Maurer & Scott, Inc., he held the position of vice president until his semi-retirement.

Phil is survived by his wife, Carol; son, Cory and daughter, Jamie (John) Staniec, both of Wind Gap, Pa.; grandchildren Jonathan and Josslyn Staniec; siblings, Jeffrey Hendrickson (Diane Romatz), Marquette, Mich., Christine “Tina” (Brian) Ciesielczyk, Ironwood, Rolf (Beth) Hendrickson, Ironwood, Jane Richards, Minocqua, Wis., and Lisa (Wayne) Jorgensen,Geneva, Ill.; uncle, Alvar Helmes, Battle Ground, Wash.; brothers and sisters-in-law, Nancy (Dean) Duckwitz, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gilman (Beth) Hill, Ironwood, and Tom (Darri) Hill, Yadkinville, N.C.; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins and friends.              

Preceding him in death were his parents; brother, Paul; and niece, Mindy Hendrickson.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 28, which will be preceded by visitation at 9:30 a.m. at McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, 305 N. Lowell St., in Ironwood, with the Rev. Jean B. Rencontre officiating.  Luncheon will follow at the Elk & Hound on Country Club Road in Ironwood.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Phil’s memory can be made to the American Heart Association or a local charity of one’s choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Ironwood. Condolences may be expressed online at www.mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.

John William Loviza, Nashville, Tenn., passed away Sept. 27, 2015. He was 84 years old.

He was born June 1, 1931, to John Joseph and Mabel Harris Loviza in Vicksburg, Miss. His initial employment with the Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg sent him on a number of projects throughout North Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Greenland. He joined Hercules Powder Co. in 1958 as a demonstration blaster. John advanced through successive assignments in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, New York, West Virginia and Delaware. He was employed in the explosives industry up until the time of his death, spending the past three decades with Hermitage Explosives Corp. Mr. Loviza was a member of the International Society of Explosives Engineers and the Moles. He was a communicant of Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Donelson for many years.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Emily Pierce Loviza; his parents, and two sisters. He is survived by his sons, Bill (Ann Crecelius) Loviza of Joelton, Tenn., Tom (Carol) Loviza of Midlothian, Va., Mike (Mary) Loviza of Bear, Del., and daughter, Alise Loviza of Madison, Tenn.; sisters, Blanche (Tom) Irby of Madison, Ala., Myrtle (Bobby) Alvarado of Vicksburg, Miss., and brother, Joe Loviza of Vicksburg, Miss.; six grandchildren and special friend Katherine Bryan of Nashville.

Visitation will be 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday Oct. 1 at Phillips-Robinson Funeral Home, 2707 Gallatin Road. The service will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 2 at the funeral, with one hour of visitation prior to the service. Rev. Robert Spickard and Father Phillip Halladay officiating. 

Interment to follow at Spring Hill Cemetery. Active Pallbearers will be grandsons and family friends. Honorary Pallbearers will be employees of Hermitage Explosives Corp.

Tom Sproull, 66, of Pittsburgh, peacefully passed away on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. Beloved husband of Phyllis (Schweiger) Sproull of 44 years; loving father of Khrista (Everett) Weisser; cherished Pap Pap of Austin and Avery Weisser; caring brother of Charles Sproull; son of the late Charles and Kathryn Sproull. 

Thomas was employed with Senex Explosives for 46 years. He also enjoyed traveling and golfing, but most of all he loved spending time with his family. He was also a charter member of the SEE Mid-Atlantic Chapter in 1983. Friends and family are welcome at 430 Washington Ave., Bridgeville, 412-221-3800, on Thursday 4 p.m. until time of Memorial Service at 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Allegheny Valley School, 1996 Ewings Mill Rd., Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Bradley Richard Langner, 65, passed away in Mission Viejo, California, on Friday Oct. 24, 2014, with friends and family beside him, after bravely battling cancer for a number of years.   

He was born in Sacramento, California, to Gladys Hill Bradley and Richard Bohannon Langner who preceded him in death. Growing up in the Meadow Vista and Auburn, California areas, he graduated from Placer High School and went on to become a prominent and active local business owner in the surveying, construction and commercial explosives industries.

Brad loved travel – anywhere – and generously treated family and friends to exotic trips to Hawaii, Europe, Australia and Africa. He loved to meet new people and share life stories, especially over fine wines and exquisite meals. He also loved hiking, running marathons and hunting (1957-2012).  

Brad is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Claudia Langner, with whom he enjoyed traveling the world, discovering and sharing “the best of the best.” He will be greatly missed by his children, grandchildren, extended family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances for his intelligence, humor and passion for life as well as his outspoken nature and limitless pursuit of correcting the many wrongs he saw in the world.

A celebration of Brad’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 13, 2014, at the Winchester Country Club, in Meadow Vista, California.

For those wishing to send thoughts and messages, please do so care of

Alpha Explosives
P.O. Box 310
Lincoln, CA 95648
916.645.3377

Donations can also be made to the American Cancer Society.

John B. “Jack” Creeden

John B. “Jack” Creeden, 87, of Peabody, Massachusetts, died Monday, Oct. 27 at the Rosewood Nursing Home in Peabody following a brief illness. He was the devoted husband of Elizabeth “Betty” (Cavanaugh) Creeden with whom he shared over 63 years of marriage.

Born in Woburn, he was the son of the late Bernard and Catherine (Dever) Creeden. He was raised and educated in Medford and has spent the last 50 years living in Peabody. After high school, Jack enlisted with the United States Navy and served during World War II and was honorably discharged in August of 1946. He served an additional eight years in the Navy Reserves until August 1954.

Jack received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Massachusetts and graduate work at the University of Kentucky.

Jack was employed for more than 30 years as a civil engineer for Liberty Mutual, and he also served for more than 25 years on the Planning Board for the City of Peabody.

He was an active community member and a faithful and active communicant and a Eucharistic Minister at St. Adelaide’s Church. He was an avid reader and loved history.

Besides his loving wife of 63 years, he is survived by his son, Robert Creeden, of Salisbury; his two daughters, Mary Creeden of Middlesex, Vermont, and Kathleen Kimmel of Boulder, Colorado; his two sisters, Arlene Eldridge of Nashua, New Hampshire, and Eleanor Calder of Burlington, and is also survived by his five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren, and by several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his son, Dennis Creeden and brother, Eugene Creeden.

His funeral will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St., Peabody followed by his funeral mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Adelaide’s Church, Lowell St., Peabody, to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Visiting hours are on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in Oak Grove. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to St. Adelaide’s Church, 708 Lowell St., Peabody, MA 01960. For directions and online obituary, visit www.ccbfuneral.com.