Dr. Janice Skraly

Dr. Janice Skraly, of McKeesport, known by her many students over the years as “Doc”, died peacefully on April 25, 2021. Born on June 22, 1941 in Blue Island, Illinois, she is the daughter of the late Stanley Kuzak and Sophie Szalacha Karnas. The first in her family to attend college, she graduated from Alliance College with her B.S. in chemistry and went on to earn her Ph.D. in education from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught chemistry and computer science at South Allegheny High School for nearly 30 years, and stoking interest in science was her main devotion. She was proud of her students’ excellent performance in science fairs and loved the fact that they would come to her lab in their spare time to work on extra projects like growing crystals. She was all about exploration and discovery; the largest plaque in her office is a quote by Albert Einstein: “If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called Research.”
She loved to collect gems and minerals, to tend her garden and take care of the many wild animals that visited her, to read ghost and mystery stories, and of course to relax with her beloved cats. She was also very involved in her community as the head of the local CrimeWatch.

Dr. Skraly is survived by her daughter, Monica Skraly of Mt. Lebanon, and her son Frank Skraly and his wife Anita Weiner and grandchildren Bianca and Benjamin Skraly of Watertown, Massachusetts.

To best honor her memory, donations should be made to charities that promote access to education and that provide for the well-being of animals.

A private entombment took place on May 1, 2021 at McKeesport & Versailles Mausoleum. Services were provided by Strifflers of White Oak Cremation and Mortuary Services, 1100 Lincoln Way, White Oak, PA 15131 (Sue Striffler Galaski, supervisor, 412-678-6177).