Nicholas Donson
OBITUARY
Nick Donson, 97, a long time resident of Dickson City, died Friday evening at Gino J. Merli Veterans Center, Scranton, PA., in the company of his loving family. Nick and his wife Ann would have celebrated 71 years of marriage in June of this year.
Born in Jessup, son of the late Andrew and Anna Fedorko Donson, he was a 1947 graduate of Jessup High School. As Jessup Baseballers Middle Division Kings, Nick and his brother Daniel qualified for participation in the Lackawanna Scholastic baseball playoffs. Nick or Hands as was his nickname, was also a varsity football player for the Jessup Green Waves. A World War II veteran, he served in the military police and his most important assignment was the guarding of Tokyo Rose. He was also a member of the V.F.W. Post 5544 in Jessup. Nick began working at the age of twelve, as a farm hand, then later teens at New York hotels, as a stock boy in the kitchen, and as an adult at the A & P and Murrazzi Provision Company, where he was employed as a butcher. He spent his retirement attending to his grandchildren, their sporting events, birthday parties (he tossed a mean jump rope), school plays, and transporting his grandchildren to and from school, and of course, playing cards at his beloved hangout, Sam’s, in Throop.
Nick is survived by his wife Ann Constant Donson, a daughter Joanne and husband John Pesota (Dickson City), son James Donson (Leesburg, Virginia) and son Robert Donson and wife Michelle (Scotch Plains, New Jersey); grandchildren, Jonathan Pesota and wife Heather (Philadelphia), Christopher Pesota and wife Emily (Maryland), Nicole Pesota and husband Riccardo Cammarata (Philadelphia), Mia and Aubrey Donson (Scotch Plains, New Jersey); and great-grandson, Everett Pesota (Maryland); and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sisters, Virginia Donson, Pauline Marcinek, Mary Shanley, Anna Chorba, and Alice Faliskie; and a brother Daniel.
The February 28 th funeral will begin with a viewing at 12:30 p.m. and a Mass at 1:00, both at Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church, Jessup, PA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center. The family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff, particularly 2 North at the Gino J. Merli Center.
Arrangements by the John J. Turko & Sons Funeral Home, Dickson City.
Nicholas Donson
February 20,2026