Council remembers longtime volunteer, councilman
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL FILE - John Chuma, white shirt, is pictured with Frackville Borough Council after being recognized and honored at a meeting in 2019. From L-R: Pete Zuber, Russell Cunningham, Mayor Kim Phillips, Chuma, Paul Martin Sr., Ron Jordan, Charles Berger, Helen Miernicki, and Stephen Tertel.
FRACKVILLE – The life of a longtime Frackville volunteer who pitched in with just about every youth sports organization in the Frackville area was remembered Thursday at Frackville Borough Council.
John Chuma passed away Monday at the age of 74. Thursday’s council meeting began with a moment of silence in his memory.
Mayor Kim Phillips said Chuma had sat on the civil service board and “was a key part in the hiring of police officers for the past 15 years.”
A 1967 North Schuylkill grad, Chuma was an avid community volunteer, and has coached teener baseball for four decades. Beginning in the 1970s, he’s umpired little league games, coached little league, teeners, and biddy basketball. He was a part of the Frackville Little League’s first District 24 title, and assisted in a multitude of championships in teeners and legion baseball.
In the community itself, he was a past vice president of Frackville borough council, past president of Frackville Biddy Basketball, Frackville Midget Football, North Schuylkill Football Halftime Club, and North Schuylkill Basketball.
He was active in the Elks, the VFW, AMVETS, American Legion, and on the Frackville Flag Community. He was also a member of the Frackville Jaycees, Rec Board, and Lions Club.
The teener baseball field was named in his honor and a plaque in the borough council chambers recognizes his contributions to the community.
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