John Vrable

John B. Vrable, 93, of Greensburg, passed away peacefully on December 12th, 2022.  He was born September 24, 1929, in Greensburg, the son of John J. and Elizabeth Zubach Vrable.  John was a dedicated role model father to his children and a devoted loving husband to his wives.  John attended Greensburg High School where he excelled in athletics, especially as a halfback in football.  As a result of this, he was given a football scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a proud member of the team from 1947-1950.  While working in the early 1950’s, he took night classes and in 1957 received his Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.  He worked for Consolidated Natural Gas for several years before joining U.S. Steel where he worked in the area of corrosion research.  While at U.S. Steel and working in conjunction with the Steel Tank Institute, Dow Chemical, and Kennedy Tank, John’s research of underground steel tank corrosion lead to the development of the sti-P3 tank, which now number over several hundred thousand and have been manufactured for over 50 years.  John was considered a leader in the field of underground corrosion, and his career of work in this area was recognized in 1995 with him receiving the Colonel George C. Cox Outstanding Award.  John enjoyed backpacking alone and also with his sons, which lead to his interest in nature photography.  While he hiked many areas in the region and east coast, including the Great Smoky Mountains, his most favorite backpacking destination was Dolly Sods, located in the Monongahela National Forest in WV.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first son John B. Vrable, Jr. (Little Johnny), his older brother Edward G. Vrable, his first wife and mother of his children Marjorie A. Vrable (Peters), along with his second wife Rose M. Vrable.  He is survived by his four remaining children, his daughters Kathleen Vrable Panichella and Elizabeth Vrable Bell, and his sons Michael Vrable and David Vrable.  In addition, he is survived by seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  There will be no services at this time.  John’s family has entrusted his care to the Clement L. Pantalone Funeral Home Inc., Greensburg.  For online condolences / directions, visit us at pantalone.com. Natale N. Pantalone, supervisor.