Neighbors

John and Vera have been together for over 70 years. They married in 1944 after they met at Kennywood, Pittsburgh’s Amusement Park. Telling his story, John’s voice is full of joy. He sees humor and irony in his own life. Upon joining the Army during World War II, he became the 11th man to a 10-man Unit. The Army arbitrarily placed him in the 193rd Signal Repair Company because he had work experience at Union Switch and Signal Company, though this work experience was not related at all. He jests that he made himself useful, mainly by helping in the mess kitchen and staying out of trouble. However, he did make a significant contribution for which he received the Meritorious Service Unit Plaque. He helped make the first FM radio usable for the troops in Europe, which reduced interference problems due to the overcrowded AM radio waves.

Since 1956, John and Vera have lived in a ranch-style home. They hope to continue living there for the rest of their lives, but at age 95, a risk of a fall from a small trip is a high probability. They applied for service from Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh in 2016. Thanks to funds from The Home Depot Foundation, volunteers from local Home Depot stores made repairs to their home in 2018 so it is now safe for them to age in place.