John Veneri

John Veneri, of Monroeville Pennsylvania, left this earth on January 22, 2022. He was 97. Because of the pandemic, he had been staying with his daughter in Alexandria Virginia. He passed away of natural causes at Fairfax Inova hospital in northern Virginia. He will now be free to reunite with his beloved wife, Lois, who died in January 2009. John cherished his family, and leaves behind two daughters, Janice, of Alexandria VA, Colleen, of Cardiff-by-the-Sea CA, Colleen’s husband Tom, and grandson Matthew, of San Francisco, CA, in addition to many nieces and nephews. His parents, sisters Kathryn and Clara, and brother Valentino, preceded him in death. John was born in southeastern Ohio, near Jacobsburg, barely a blip on the map. He grew up along the banks of the Ohio River, a source of joy to him. He loved his parents and siblings. His father, Joseph (Arenzo) Veneri, was born in Italy and was a WWI veteran; his mother Margaret, was born in West Virginia. The family moved to the Pittsburgh area when John was 12. John married Lois, the love his life, in 1948. John worked for over 40 years as a locomotive engineer for the Union Railroad. He liked to tinker in his garage workshop. He was a handyman and claimed to be able to fix anything. He also loved cars, particularly in his youthful days. He was among the first in his town to own a 1964 Mustang. John and Lois loved to travel. John was a lifelong fan of country music and he and his wife made frequent trips to Nashville. They enjoyed long visits with their daughter Janice, who was a naval officer stationed in Germany and Italy. He was happy to be able to visit the birthplace of his father and to meet some of his Italian cousins. John also loved visiting his daughter Colleen in California and spending time with his much-loved grandson Matthew. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, February 1, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the GENE H. CORL FUNERAL CHAPEL INC, AND CREMATION SERVICES OF MONROEVILLE, 4335 Northern Pike (412-372-2100). A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish at St. Bernadette Church, 245 Azalea Dr, Monroeville. Entombment be at St Joseph Cemetery & Mausoleum, 1443 Lincoln Highway, North Versailles. In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to the Monroeville Animal Shelter or a contribution towards a memory bench at Monroeville Community Park West. Please contact the family if you wish to contribute to the bench donation. Condolences to the family can be made at www.corlfuneralchapel.com.