Pat Dragowski admits that she feels honored by being named the North Boroughs YMCA's “Volunteer of the Year,” but she is quick to add that the honor should be shared by an enthusiactic board of directors.

Pat grew up in Point Breeze, lived in Bellevue in the mid-1970s, and then moved to Kilbuck after marrying her husband, Robert. She said that the Y has been important to her through all of her years in the North Boroughs.

"I exercised there for years, and my daughter, Laura, was in many of the classes while she was growing up."

When Alex Riddle addressed his fellow seniors as class valedictorian at Avonworth High School's graduation ceremonies in June, nobody doubted his claim to being at the top of the Class of 2010, his grade point average being 4.28.

Pamela Ostop Pamela Anne (Jones) Ostop, age 46, of Pittsburgh, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. Loving mother of Chelsea Ostop; beloved daughter of Jim and Millie Jones; sister of Aimee Bauman (Roger) and Joshua Jones (Melanie); aunt of Samantha, Jacob and Valerie Jones. Services and internment private. Arrange-ments by T.B. Devlin Funeral Home.

Pauline Kent Pauline Pence Kent, 94, of Emsworth, wife of the late Harold E. Kent, died Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012.

Helen Crooks Helen Reitz Crooks, 79, wife of the late William H. Crooks Sr., died Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Mrs. Crooks enjoyed cooking and making cookies. She was an avid reader, enjoyed bowling, bingo, trivia games and traveling.

Sophia Regas Sophia Fakles Regas, 89, wife of the late John Fakles and John Regas, died Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011. Mrs. Regas was the owner of the River Road Inn in Avalon for 39 years. She is survived by two daughters, Theodora Fakles and Pandora Bossick and her husband Dennis; her sister-in-law, Shea Banus; and nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, George and Panagula Danus; and two siblings, Demetrios Danus and Maria Giannakos.

Dorothy Malloy Dorothy R. Gastner Malloy, 91, of Emsworth, died Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. She is survived by her husband, J. Regis Malloy; and three children, Bonnie Bass and her husband James, Diane Barr and her husband James and Ronald Malloy. Services and burial were private. Arrangements were made by the Orion C. Pinkerton Funeral Home.

William Steffes William August Steffes of Kilbuck Township, died Monday, Nov. 14, 2011.

James R. Davis James R. Davis, 68, of McCandless, husband of the late Carol S. Davis, died Nov. 4, 2011. Mr. Davis had been the owner of Jim Davis Auto Body in Emsworth. He leaves a son, James S. Davis and his fiancé Sharon Welfer; a sister, Linda (John) Provich; a niece, Melissa (Mike) Taylor; nephews, Joseph Weiss Jr. and James (Jamie) Weiss. Friends were received Tuesday at Simons Funeral Home and a service was held Wednesday in St. John's Lutheran Church of Highland. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, Southwest Region 320 Bilmar Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15205.

Alma Fleming Alma Eleanor Oestreicher Fleming, 97, of Wadsworth, OH, formerly of Kilbuck Township and wife of the late James D. Fleming, died Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Livingston and her husband Paul; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three nephews; and a niece. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nellie Oestreicher; and her brother, Charles Oestreicher and his wife Helene. Friends were received at O'Brien Funeral Home, North Side, until the time of services on Friday. Burial was in Rosedale Cemetery.

John Koch Jr.

Anna Marie Ayres Anna Marie Staudenmaier Ayres, wife of the late George W. Staudenmaier, died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. She is survived by four children, George W. Ayres Jr. and his wife Ruth, Mary Ann Turkovich, Margaret "Peggy" Ayres and Rose Marie Ayres; and her grandson, William Turkovich and his wife Stephanie. She was preceded in death by six brothers; and her son-in-law, John Turkovich.

Rita Collins Rita S. Collins, wife of the late Michael J. Collins, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. Mrs. Collins was a member of Catholic War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary Post #1365.

Elizabeth McFarlane Elizabeth A. "Betty" McFarlane, 84, of Bellevue, died Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011. Mrs. McFarlane was a school crossing guard in Bellevue for many years. She is survived by her husband, Richard J. McFarlane; three children, Richard J. McFarlane Jr. and his wife Chris, Patricia Brelloch and her husband Rick and Kathy Weifenbach and her husband Lee; three granddaughters, Kelly Harshman and her husband James, Colleen McFarlane and Megan Brelloch; and two great-grandsons, Elija and Isaiah Harshman.

Helen Schmalzl Helen Herzlieb Schmalzl, 90, of Avalon, wife of the late Albert Schmalzl, died Wednesday, August 17, 2011. Mrs. Schmalzl was a member of the Church of the Assumption Christian Mothers and an active member of the Sewickley YMCA. She is survived by three children, Helen Schmalzl, William Schmalzl and his wife Patricia and Richard Schmalzl and his wife Mary; and six grandchildren, Greg, Max, Alex, Evelyn, Will and Ellie. She was preceded in death by her sister, Marie Herzlieb.