John Farkas, Jr.

John Anthony Farkas Jr., 35, of Waverly, died suddenly at home on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Born on Aug. 29, 1985 in Wilkes-Barre, John was the son of John A. Farkas, Ph.D. and the late Nancy (Becker) Schmitt.

John graduated from Abington Heights High School in 2005, The George Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in history in 2009, and Marywood University with a Master of Arts in communication arts in 2015.

John served as manager of development and alumni relations for Catholic Schools Diocese of Scranton, fundraising manager with Abraham Path Initiative (formed out of Harvard University), Maplewood, New Jersey, and currently served WVIA, Scranton, as a major gift and planned giving officer.

John enjoyed traveling and spent one summer in Prague, where he attended St. Charles University, and participated in Holocaust studies. He has also spent time in Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Israel, Toronto, Copenhagen, England, France and most recently Havana, Cuba. He loved to quote one of Italy’s best-known writers, Casare Pavese.

John served as an annual facilitator for the Holocaust Education Research Center-Teen Holocaust Symposium in Scranton and participated in the March for the Living: Youth Liaison to Israel and Poland. He was a member of the board for the Scranton Fringe Festival, Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Association, Lackawanna County Arts, Culture and Education Council, the Vintage Theater (secretary of the board), the Lackawanna Valley Conservancy, and most recently the AFA Gallery.

In addition to his father, John is survived by aunts and uncles, Lee and Bea Schmitt of Dallas, Texas; David C. Farkas of Branchburg, N.J.; Sally E. Farkas of Hillsborough, N.J.; Barbie Schmitt and David Morgan of Clarks Summit; Frank Mullen of Frederick, Md.; Sharon and Paul Schmitt of Hilton Head, S.C.; many cousins; and his dogs, Dylan and Emma.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Monday, Nov. 30 at 9:30 a.m. at St. Peter's Cathedral, 315 Wyoming Ave., Scranton, and will be celebrated by Monsignor David L. Tressler. Interment will be private at the convenience of the family. The parish has asked all family and friends attending the Mass to wear a facial covering and observe social distancing protocol.

For directions or to leave an online condolence, visit the funeral home website. John’s care has been entrusted to Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services Inc.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Scranton Fringe Festival, of which John was a board member, by visiting fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/scranton-fringe-festival/general_support and the Lackawanna Historical Society www.lackawannahistory.org.