 | Francis Gregory Lastowka, age 46, passed into the afterlife on April 27 at his home in Swarthmore, Pa. In his own words... I was born in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1968, and my early years were spent in Aston and Gradyville. My passion as a teenager was art, so much so that I would often vandalize my math and science books with doodles. However, despite my poor grades, I was accepted into Penn State, which turned out to be the best thing in the world for me. This is because at Penn State I found my soulmate, Carol, to whom I have been married for nearly 22 years. We met during a freshman honors course, and endured a long-distance relationship when I transferred to Yale University. We were reunited soon enough, and both entered into graduate studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1992. We married in 1993 and the next year we enlisted in the United States Peace Corps, serving as English teachers in Turkmenistan. While there, I co-wrote the first Turkmen-English dictionary and helped organize a national English immersion camp. I also learned to play over 15 varieties of solitaire, and to speak Russian and Turkmen. We returned home from Turkmenistan in 1996 and, because I realized the prospects of raising a family on my artistic and writing skills were not very good, I applied to law schools and was accepted at the University of Virginia, receiving a full scholarship. I did well in law school, although this required spending much less time with Carol than I would have liked. During my final year of law school, our first son, Adam, was born. Two years later, during my federal clerkship, our second son, Daniel, was born. I love my two sons, and they have been my constant companions. I loved to spend time with them, whether it be making jokes, playing games, or just hanging out. From high school to the present, I held over twenty jobs, but none were as rewarding or as much fun as my last job, teaching law to students at Rutgers University School of Law in Camden. My specialty was intellectual property and internet law. I was happy during the last two years that I could involve Adam and Daniel in my research. I want to thank my family and my parents, Frances McGeehan Lastowka and Joseph Edward Lastowka, Jr, my brother Joe, and especially my loving wife, for all their love and support over the years. One thing I have realized is that life is short. My advice: Don’t get bogged down in the serious stuff, and always remember to laugh. Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Mass on Friday at 11:00 A.M. St. John Chrysostom Church 617 S. Providence Rd. Wallingford where friends may call from 9 to 10:45 A.M. Relatives and friends may also call Thursday from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Carr Funeral Home 935 S. Providence Rd. (Rt. 320) Wallingford. Contributions to the charity of the donor's choice or to the Delaware County Community Foundation 102 Chesley Dr. Media, PA 19063 or www.delcocf.org for donations to be distributed to charities of Greg's family's choice. |