Published: July 16, 2008 10:53 pm      

Portage families grieve loss of young men

As Portage prepares to lay to rest four young men killed Sunday in a car accident, their families try to deal with the loss.

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Marion Zunich recalled the last time she talked to her 26-year-old son, Ryan.

The conversation took place in the Zunich home in Portage as Ryan and his niece were eating.

Marion Zunich said she told the girl to tell Uncle Ryan to hurry up and get married so she could have more grandchildren.

“He just laughed at me,” she said. “His laugh ... I’ll never forget the smile on his face.”

All four were graduates of Portage Area High School, where Ryan was a standout athlete.

Marion Zunich said she and her husband, Matthew, lived their summers at the ballpark watching their son’s baseball games. They also traveled extensively to see him play football.

“It was a great time in our lives,” she said. “We totally enjoyed it.”

Ryan was recruited to play football at Glenville State College in West Virginia, but he didn’t stay long.

“It was too far away from home,” his mother said. “He wanted to be home, so he came back and went to IUP.”

She said he decided his education was more important than football.

The youngest of three boys, Ryan was the first in his family to get a college degree, graduating cum laude.

“We are very, very proud of our son,” his mother said.

Ryan took a job at L. Robert Kimball and Associates Inc. in Ebensburg as a geographic information systems specialist, where he was working on mapping land in Cambria County

“He was our baby,” his mother said, recalling her son’s early years. “He was very loving. He was cute and chubby. We used to call him Bubbs.”



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Richard McKrush, the son of Richard J. and Melissa McKrush of Portage, was another outstanding athlete.

The four-year letterman was a member of the 2003 Associated Press Class A first team.

Although the 22-year-old was respected for his athletic accomplishments, family spokesman Rick Westover said that didn’t define Rich.

“He was a very humble person,” Westover said.

“His high school accomplishments weren’t what was important. It was his friends – it was how he treated others and how he was viewed by others. That was what mattered to him.”

Westover, companion of Rich’s sister Amy, said Rich recently became an uncle.

“(The babies) absolutely adored him,” he said. “And he was wonderful with them.”

Westover said Rich was caring and full of life.

“You could walk into a room with him and he made you feel comfortable,” he said.



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The Rev. Ronald Osinski knew Joseph Gordon Maximillion Krug Jr. for the 14 years he has been pastor at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church in the borough.

Known as “Gordo,” the son of Barbara Jean and Joseph Gordon Krug Sr. of Portage had studied for the priesthood.

The 25-year-old had attended Pontifical College the Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, for two years.

“He had the potential to be a good priest,” Osinski said.

“He was very prayerful and spiritual. He wasn’t afraid to live his religion.

“Often I’d find him in church. He’d be sitting there meditating and praying.”

Although Gordo was a truck driver for Imlers Poultry and was auditor for Portage Township, he planned to continue his religious training.

“He never gave up on that dream,” Osinski said.

Joseph, who Osinski said was a talented musician, was organist and choir director at the church.

His death at such a young age was shocking to his priest.

“I’m still grasping at that,” he said.

“I never thought I’d be burying him. I thought he’d be ordained and he’d be coming to my funeral.”



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The most important things in the life of Eric Secriskey, 25, were his two children.

His parents, Gene and Paula Tewart of Portage, said that, while Eric didn’t live with the kids, he was very involved with their care.

“I love them with my heart and soul,” Eric wrote of his children on his Web page.

Gene Tewart said Eric took the children fishing and for long walks around the house.

Currently between jobs, Eric was able to provide child care, watching the kids five days a week.

He said his son was popular, outgoing and generous.

“He’d help anybody do anything,” he said.



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The men’s families said they appreciate the outpouring of support from the community.

“This weekend we have been overwhelmed,” Mrs. Zunich said. “Words cannot explain. His friends, the neighbors, the community –”

She was touched that her son had so many friends and that he was so well loved.

“These were all good boys,” she said.

“God takes the good ones.”