05/16/2026
With hearts full of gratitude and sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved wife and mother Joyce Krause, 82, of Crucible, Pa., who passed away peacefully in the Donnell House on Tuesday, May 12 with members of her loving family close by.
A woman of loving spirit and a servant heart, Joyce was born on Aug. 25, 1943, in Waynesburg, Pa. and graduated from Carmichaels Area High School in 1961. Joyce and her high school sweetheart, Richard, eloped to Wi******er, Va., where they married on Aug. 28, 1961.
Joyce always considered her family as her greatest blessing. She dedicated her life to her husband and their four children where every holiday and important life event was celebrated; birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, new jobs, and other special events provided many great moments and photo opportunities for a family that loved to gather and to chronicle its history through pictures.
Throughout her life, Joyce was always kind, always selfless; she always cared about people. She made everyone feel valued and special. She also possessed a subtle, but delightful, sense of humor that would sneak up on you.
On Friday evenings, you would often find Joyce with her husband at the dances hosted by the Carmichaels Activity Center. They loved dancing, and their favorite dance was the waltz. Joyce loved her close community of friends at the activity center who made each night there a special occasion.
She is survived by her soul mate and husband of more than 64 years, Richard; daughter, Kimberly (Jim Snyder), of Oxnard, Calif.; son, Richard (Marie), of Carmichaels, Pa.; son, Jeff (Kris), of Manassas, Va.; son, John (Rae), of Buckhannon, W.Va.
Joyce cherished a special relationship with her surviving brother John Krajnak and his wife Linda of Carmichaels, and their delightful children Scott (Kate), of Moorestown, N.J., and Lindy, of Morgantown, W.Va. She especially enjoyed Christmas Eve celebrations with them.
Later in her life, Joyce became “Grammy” to six grandchildren: Megan Snyder, of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Michael Snyder of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; Darren Krause of Carmichaels, Pa.; Keith Krause (Haley) of Huntingdon, Pa.; Ashley (Frank) Casile, of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Chloe (Juan) Sosa of Martinsburg, W.Va.; and in the last year of her life, she celebrated the birth of two great-grandchildren, Stevie Krause of Huntingdon, Pa., and June Casile, of Pittsburgh, Pa.
She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Gloria Barnhart of Carmichaels, Pa., with whom she had a sister-like relationship for more than 60 years.
Preceding Joyce in death were her loving parents, Steve and Sara Krajnak, formerly of Carmichaels, Pa., and her brother, Robin Litton, formerly of New York City, who would always make her laugh. She so looked forward to his visits home.
We will celebrate Joyce’s life with visitation from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 17, 2026 in the Paul M. Lesako Funeral Home Inc., 204 Dowlin Ave., Carmichaels, Pa 15320, Paul M. Lesako, Funeral Director/Owner and Aaron S. Walker, Funeral Director. A Christian funeral service will be officiated by Rev. Dr. Donald Wilson at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026 in the Funeral Home with a short graveside service to follow at Laurel Point Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to the Carmichaels Senior Activities Center, PO Box 184, Carmichaels, Pa. 15320.
To send condolences or sign the online guestbook please visit www.lesakofh.com
