Sheldon Lane Gusky

Sheldon Lane Gusky went to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, January 6th, 2025.

Born on May 7, 1938, Sheldon was raised in Coal Township by parents Evelyn and Walter Gusky. His older sister Betty Hubler, her daughter Cindy, and his younger sister Velvet Vincenzes were waiting to welcome him to Heaven.

After military service in his early adulthood, Sheldon worked as a civil servant in the Harrisburg area until his retirement, and then he began the work for which he was created, working the kiddie rides at Knoebel’s Grove in Elysburg.

A highly devout Christian, Sheldon put his creative talents in service to the Lord at the Christian Missionary and Alliance Church in Shamokin. His writings included sermons, poems and even plays that inspired and entertained his fellow congregants.

To his many devoted nieces and nephews, and their children, Uncle $heldon was famously frugal with his financial resources (to wit, asking for a cup of hot water at restaurants, and then pulling a teabag brought from home from his chest pocket), and infinitely generous with his punster sense of humor and physical comedy. He took us hiking and exploring, inventing hilarious scenarios that he filmed us enacting. For a long period, Friday evenings were reserved for family visits where Uncle $heldon sat for hours and played games of his own invention with us; strummed our toes to tickle us, and gave us pointer finger “needles” in the collarbone to make us giggle in delight. He loved burnt cookies, never turned down leftovers, developed a passion for Chinese tea, and treated himself to Weis potato chips and ice cream as he watched late night movies from his youth on TV. We all knew not to call before 11am, and never on a Sunday or Wednesday evening when he would be in church. We began to suspect that later in life he came to visit us mainly as an excuse to play with and cuddle our various cats and dogs, for his pockets were always full of bits of fluff for the felines, and biscuits for our pups. This love of animals was a family trait that he shared with sisters Betty and Velvet.

Sheldon’s earthly send-off will take place on Tuesday, January 14th at 11:00am at the Christian Missionary and Alliance Church in Shamokin with Pastor Rudy Sheptock officiating. Interment will follow at Odd Fellows Cemetery Coal Township. A viewing will be held on Tuesday at the church from 10:00 am until the time of service. Joseph J. Stutz, Inc. Funeral Home, 40 South Market Street, Mt. Carmel, Joseph J. Stutz III, Supervisor has been entrusted with arrangements. To offer condolences to Sheldon’s family please visit www.stutzfuneralhome.com.