PA Mayor, Volunteer FF Loses Battle With Cancer

NANTICOKE, PA  — Mayor Rich Wiaterowski passed away after a battle with leukemia, according to a Facebook post by the Nanticoke City Fire Department on Sunday afternoon.

Wiaterowski was a volunteer firefighter and active member of Lapse Hose Co. No. 2, the Facebook post said.

State Rep. Gerald Mullery, D-Nanticoke, knew Wiaterowski on both a personal and professional level.

“His death is a great loss to his family and the community of Nanticoke,” said Mullery. “I’ve known him since high school. We played softball and poker together. We traveled with our sons in basketball tournaments.”

As a lawmaker, Mullery said Wiaterowski was dedicated to the city of Nanticoke and its residents.

“All through his battle he was still a public figure,” Mullery noted. “He tried to get to as many events as possible despite his illness. He would just put on a smile.”

Wiaterowski battled acute myeloid leukemia for more than a year. Wiaterowski received a bone marrow transplant from a donor in Germany in February. His doctor told him that his results showed that he was 100 percent “cancer free.” The disease resurfaced in late July.

Wiaterowski was elected mayor of Nantcioke in 2013 and re-elected to the position in 2017.

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