Fireman Joseph P Czerw March 17, 1953-February 27 1982

Dedication of Memorial Stone and Truck 95 in the memory of Joseph P Czerw

Joseph P Czerw --1982

The National Fallen Firefighters Memorial

-- Joseph Czerw --

A Dedicated Volunteer Fire Fighter and Line Officer who lost his Life in the Line of Duty Protecting the Life and Property of the Citizens of Taylor

March 17, 1953-February 27 1982

Joseph P. Czerw was a member of Taylor Hose and Engine Company No. 1 in Taylor, PA. At the time of his death he was a foreman at the Hose Company. He was fighting a structure fire on February 27, 1982, and was 28 when he died – leaving behind a wife, Helene, and a son, Joey – age 2.

Joe was very active in the Hose Company and other organizations in the community. He was very big on camping and outdoor sports. We had a camper that went on the back of our truck, and after work on Friday we would pack up and go for the weekend. Even when Joey was born we took him. Joey even got a trophy at one campsite for being the youngest camper there. Joe loved fishing – especially ice fishing. He was also in a number of bowling leagues, and the LA Dodgers was his favorite baseball team.

Joe was well liked by everyone and never had a bad word for anyone. When he died, the Hose Company was very supporting to me and Joey. In front of the Hose Company is a monument in memory of Joe, given by the Ladies Auxiliary of Taylor Hose and Engine Company. It was donated by Robert and Nancy Thomas who were also Hose Company members. The Hose Company dedicated the truck in his honor and has a plaque hanging on the wall in the Hose Company. They go every year in uniform and trucks to the cemetery on Memorial Day and place a flower and a flag in his honor at his gravesite. They have been doing this for 25 years straight. Some of the junior firemen weren’t even born when Joe died. This year marks the 25th anniversary of his death, and they are rededicating the truck and naming a street in the Boro of Taylor after him.

Mayor David Noakes
April, 29 1930-December 14 2008

Friends: Noakes will ‘always be the mayor’ BY SHARI SANGER

TAYLOR — Harry Armstrong will always remember David Noakes Sr. as the mayor, but one of his earliest memories is of the assistant Boy Scout leader who once weathered a snowstorm to aid shivering campers.

Mr. Noakes wasn’t able to attend that weekend camping trip off Route 502 decades ago, but drove his Jeep as close as he could get to the site to bring the youngsters of Troop 90 soup and blankets after an unexpected snowstorm hit, Mr. Armstrong said.

“He was a very extraordinary man. He would do anything for anybody,” he said.

Mr. Noakes, who died Sunday at age 88, served as borough mayor for 28 years — until December 2001 — but people today still refer to him as Mayor Noakes, a title Mr. Armstrong believes will stick. “I don’t care who’s in office. He’ll always be the mayor,” he said.

Despite years in public office, Carl Noakes of Clarks Summit said his father’s greatest joy was the children.

“He loved kids. He would do anything for the kids to keep them off the streets,” the younger Mr. Noakes said. “He learned to give and share as a child and just wanted to help his fellow man.”

Friends and family said Mr. Noakes organized several groups, including the Taylor Little League and Taylor Lions Biddy Basketball, and activities like the Taylor Fishing Derby and a hunter’s safety course that was held at the shooting range in the basement of the former Municipal Building, which later burned down.

Borough Manager Daniel Zeleniak knew Mr. Noakes for nearly 40 years; he met him in the mid-1960s as a youth taking his hunter’s safety course.

“He was a great teacher. Everything was fun because he knew what he was doing. It made you want to come back,” Mr. Zeleniak said.

Friends and family described Mr. Noakes as humble, caring, religious and hardworking, whether his role at the time was machinist, soldier, mayor or community volunteer. He worked well into his 70s, his son said.

And throughout his life, he survived at least three types of cancer and underwent several operations, including open-heart surgery — all of which, his son said, lovingly earned him the nickname “bionic man.”

Carl Noakes said his father may have stood only 5 feet, 5 inches tall, but “he was big at heart.”

And an example for all.

“I’m proud of my dad. I feel very privileged to have had my father as my father,” he said. “Nobody can fill his shoes.”

David Noakes Sr. December 14, 2008 David Noakes Sr., 88, Taylor, died Sunday at Abington Manor Health Care. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, the former Priscilla Davis.

Born in Taylor, son of the late Albert and Margaret Whitehouse Noakes, he was a 1939 graduate of Old Forge High School. He worked as a machinist apprentice at the West Pittston Iron Works before World War II, and afterward at Wiley Cadillac and Crea Cadillac as the parts manager. He also worked for Lackawanna County for 17 years.

He was an auditor in Taylor for four years and mayor of Taylor for 28 years. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Mayors and served as vice president, and was a member of the Pennsylvania State Mayor’s Association and the Association of Mayors of the Boroughs of Pennsylvania. He was an Army veteran of World War II, serving 13 months stateside and 29 months overseas with the 406th AAA Gun Battalion and 367th Engineers Combat Battalion, fighting in three campaigns. He was honored with the Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Medal with five bronze stars; World War II Victory Medal and Army of Occupation Medal (Germany). He also served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard from 1945 to 1951.

Dave was a very humble, kind, loving, caring and thankful person who worked tirelessly through volunteerism.

He was a life member of the Taylor American Legion Post 306 for 62 years; VFW Post 4954, Old Forge; Disabled American Veterans William C. Malia Post 1; and was a member of the Italian American War Veterans Electric City Post 33, Scranton. He was also a life member of Taylor Hose and Engine Company 1, where he was past president, secretary and secretary-treasurer of its Relief Association; was a charter and lifetime member and past president of Eagle McClure Hose Company 1, Old Forge; and was a member of the Fire Police Association of the State of Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County and Taylor Borough. He was a charter member and past president of the Taylor Lions Club; was a life member of the Taylor R & L Club and a member of the St. David’s Society.

He was the organizer and manager of the “Corsica Red Wings,” a baseball team that played during R & R in Corsica, France. He also organized and was manager of the 1946 Taylor American Legion Post 306 basketball team and was organizer of the Taylor Little League, where he served as manager, players agent and umpire, and served on the board of directors for seven years. He was organizer of Taylor Lions Biddy Basketball and served as coach, referee and as its commissioner for six years. He assisted with the Taylor Lions Junior Football program, sponsored Taylor girls’ summer and fall softball teams, the Mayor Noakes Taylorettes, the Mayor Noakes “A’s” and the Mayor Noakes Angels. He was organizer of the Taylor Lions Junior-Senior Rifle Club, where he was chief instructor and secretary; and was a member of the National Rifle Association, where he received a 35-year rifle instructor certificate, “Legion of Honor Roll.” He also received a 30-year service award as a hunter safety instructor with the Pennsylvania Game Commission. He was assistant scoutmaster of Taylor Troop 90; a Boy Scout merit badge counselor; and was a member of the Lackawanna County Sportsman Federation and received its Sportsman of the Year Award. He was a 20-year member of the Scranton Chapter Amateur Softball Association, a baseball umpire for 20 years in Little League, teener league and the American Legion and adult leagues. He founded the Anthracite Quarter Midget Racing Club and was secretary/treasurer. He organized the Taylor Fishing Derby, organized and hosted an annual Army reunion in 1950 for his unit, which continues to meet 58 years later, and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a sports fan of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the Philadelphia Phillies, the New York Giants, Penn State and his beloved Riverside Vikings.