John Elnitsky

Poor St. Peter got a bone

crushing handshake as John Elnitsky, 94, of Whitehall, walked through the pearly gates on Monday, November 29th, 2021. John's signature handshake was well known to all with his last one attempted on the day before he died. Born in Olyphant, PA,

John was the son of the late Stephen and Theresa (Yaworski) Elnitsky and the

husband of the late Wilma (Anthony) Elnitsky. He was nicknamed "Johnny Baker" when, as a young child, he would pull his wagon around town yelling, "baker."

John graduated from Olyphant High School in 1945 and immediately enlisted to serve 3 years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He was the storekeeper on the first American crew of the USCGC Eagle tall sailing ship after it was taken from the Germans after WWII as a war reparation. From 1948 to 1953, he served in the U.S. Naval Reserve. The GI bill gave John the opportunity to attend the University of Scranton where he graduated cum laude in 1952 with a B.S. in Economics and was a member of the swim team and Economics club.

On December 27, 1954, John began working for the Social Security Administration in Allentown, the same day meeting his future wife, Wilma, after creating quite a commotion knocking down the front door Venetian blinds as he entered the office. The couple were married for 57 years until Wilma's death in 2014. John worked 40 years for Social Security serving the people of Sunbury, Reading, Pottsville, Allentown, and Easton with a smile, a joke and that signature steel vise handshake, retiring in 1995 from his post as Easton District Manager. John took great satisfaction in working with

his team to help people get the benefits they deserved.

John always loved distance swimming. As a young man, he enjoyed swimming the mile across Chapman Lake in Scott Township, PA and, in his seventies, he still swam a mile several times per week. In their golden years, John and Wilma traveled to many beach locales where it was a common occurrence for John to get whistled in by lifeguards for swimming too far offshore.

John was a devout Catholic, serving as a lector for over 20 years as well as a Eucharistic Minister and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was a Little League baseball coach, Boy Scout leader and a soup kitchen volunteer.

Although John declined during the last years of his life, he never lost his sense of humor or his gratitude,

especially for his devoted caregivers.

John is survived by his son, Rear Admiral (ret.) John Elnitsky (Christine) of New Smyrna Beach, FL, daughter Anne Kellner (Steve) of West Windsor, NJ, grandchildren James Elnitsky, Katie and Caroline Kellner, great grandchildren Jadyn and Chance Elnitsky and numerous nieces and nephews.

John's Memorial mass will be celebrated on Monday, December 13th at 10 AM in St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Catholic Church, 618 Fullerton Ave., Whitehall, PA 18052 with visitation beginning at 9 AM.