Edith (Singer) Tomko

At 1:11 am, May 28th, angels came and took our mom Edith Marie Singer Tomko to be with our heavenly father.  Mom was a fighter but when the nursing homes were closed, because of Covid-19, our Mom missed our daily visits we had with her.  The virus did not cause her death but being shut out from her family hastened her death.  Our Mom was the widow of Emil R. Tomko who passed away June 14, 1973.

Born in Dunmore, she was the daughter of the late Clarence T. and Elizabeth Ettinger Singer.  Attended Dunmore High School, Prior to retirement worked at the former Manhattan Shirt in Scranton and Gold Crown Pizza, Dunmore.

Our mom was very young, when Dad went to war.  She was left with three children to take care of and she did a wonderful job.  Mom loved to bake pies and, on our birthday, she always made us a carnival cake with five different colors.  She made five colors because the five of us needed a bowl to lick.  She would make our Halloween costumes, spending hours at the sewing machine making costume our of crepe paper.  She always crochet afghans for her new great grandchildren.

Mom was devoted to her church.  She sang in the choir and belonged to the Women’s Society.  If anyone needed help at the church, Mom was there to help them.  Our Mother at 75 would get up every morning at 6:30 and out the door at 7 to walk, with friends, around the Dunmore Cemetery for at least an hour, until she was 93.  I hope everyone’s Mother was as wonderful as ours.  We could never use a curse word around our Mother she would yell at us.   I never heard her curse in her life.  She loved God dearly and read her bible every day.  She made our Christmas special all the time, even though we did not have much she baked her Christmas cookies and filled our stockings and hung them on the fireplace.  Hid our Easter baskets, and always had our name on the chocolate eggs.  Filled up the Easter basket with her baked bread, homemade cheese, kielbasa and decorated eggs and we would take it to church to be blessed.  There is so much more I could say about our Mom but I want to say she loved her children, grandchildren & great-grandchildren and lived a healthy full life and was lucky enough to see all her children collect social security and was able to watch all her family of three  generations  grow up.

Edith is survived by her five children, her son Robert E. Tomko and wife Bettiann Whitehall, PA., her daughters Romayne and husband Albert Washner, Dickson City, Patricia and husband Frank Anelli, Olyphant, Rosemary and husband Patrick Sandone, Jr., Roaring Brook Twp., and Susan Salerno, Scranton, PA.  She is also survived by her loving grandchildren SebastianKiraly, Honesdale, Julie Fenton, Whitehall, Desiree Kotarba, Philadelphia, Patrick W. Sandone III, Clarks Summit, Robert J. Tomko, Whitehall, Sean Sandone, Lansdale, Justin Amendolaro, Dunmore and Stefanie Salerno, Chicago.  Her step-grandchildren Richard Washner, Courtney Bodtmann & Heather Jackson.  Her great-grandchildren Lindsey Waricher, Madelyn & Everett Sandone, Maximus & Marek Sandone, Brady and Tori Tomko, and Ryan & Ele Amendolaro. Several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her two infant sons Emil and John, her beloved brother & sister Herbert C. Singer and Doris E. Finan.

We wish to thank the aides & nurses at the Green Ridge Care Center for taking such excellent care of our mother, especially Ann her nurse, Brenda, Virginia, Michelle and John, who always had a banana for Mom and all the other aides that took care of her, and also Dr. Salvatore Lawrence and Lori his nurse.

Because of the Covid-19 virus our mother’s viewing will be held at the Dunmore United Methodist Church, 222 South Blakely Street, Dunmore. 

If anyone wants to pay their respects there will be a viewing from 10AM to 11AM inside the church.  There will be no condolences to the family because of Covid-19.  One person at a time can come in with their mask on.  A funeral service will begin at 11AM.  After that there will be a private service at the Dunmore Cemetery for family only.

Memorial contributions made be made to, Dunmore United Methodist Church 222 S. Blakely Street Dunmore, PA 18512 or Friends with Paws Pet Rescue 1443 Sanderson Ave. Scranton, PA 18509.

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