Agnes Grady Chesko

Agnes Grady Chesko of West Chester.

Agnes Grady Chesko 94, of West Chester, died on April 18, 2015.

Born in 1920 in Mahanoy City, Pa. to the late Joseph and late Mary Streissel Grady.

She was the wife of the late J. William Chesko.

Agnes graduated from Mahanoy Township High School in 1938 and Immaculata College in 1942. She took additional courses at various colleges including Colombia, Drexel and West Chester University.

Agnes had an amazing life. If she saw a problem she tried to solve it. She was the first president of St. Agnes Woman’s Club, a founding member of Wedgewood Swim Club, started a youth Arc program, assisted in the creation of Handi-Crafters which serves adults with disabilities.  An early member of The Arc of Chester County, she served on its Board of Directors.

Agnes was a past president of the West Chester Chapter of Immaculata Alumnae, Co-chaired with Dolly Filini Noonan, the first Family Day at Immaculata. She recently inducted into Immaculata University’s Heritage Club. Working as an extra in the Mighty Macs movie she remembered her days as a basketball player during her college years.

Agnes was the first graduate of a Catholic college to be hired by the West Chester Schools in 1942. At West Chester High School she started a program where the boys in shop and the girls in home economics would trade classes. She started offering free classes in the evening to teach sewing.

 Leaving teaching in 1949 to raise her children she still worked a variety of jobs. She authored cookbooks and manuals and tested cooking equipment for Lasko Metal Products. Developing recipes for Pepsi- Cola and consulting for Sonobond where she recommended the use of sound waves were other jobs she did. She taught dietetics and nutrition at the Chester County Hospital School of Nursing. They used to send an ambulance to take her to class. Other jobs included working at Newberry’s for $.20 an hour while in high school, managing Loft’s Candy Store, teaching at Roosevelt College in New York City and dietitian for YMCA camp in West Point, New York.

Returning to teaching at Conestoga High School in 1967 Agnes created and taught “Bachelor Living” Course. This class was written up in many newspapers and an in-flight magazine. She wrote a syllabus for this course which was bought by the State of Maryland.

Agnes retired in 1982 but went back to work at age 83 as a tipstaff for Judge John Hall. She went on leave when she was hit by a car in the crosswalk between the Justice Center and the parking garage.

Agnes served on many boards including  Handi-Crafters, The Arc of Chester County, Wedgewood Swim Club and Immaculata. A Republican committeewoman in West Chester Ward 6 for 20 years and served as vice-chairman. Agnes was an ADA volunteer for the 2000 Republican National Convention. She was also active in Friends of Everhart Park and delighted in playing the Halloween witch on the West Chester Railroad.

Agnes loved traveling, painting, photography, driving her 1969 Firebird convertible, swimming and the color blue. She began taking piano lessons at 92.

Agnes relished traveling with her husband, family, teachers and the Smithsonian.
She traveled to all 50 states and more than 50 countries including India, Kenya, Nepal , Thailand, China, Antarctica, Greenland, South Africa, Lapland, most of the Caribbean Islands and even Timbuktu, Mali.

Agnes found pleasure in a good mystery book and is a minor character in a Lisa Scotolini mystery.

She is survived by her children, William Chesko and wife Diane, Nancy Chesko, Patricia Chesko and Robert Chesko, all of West Chester.

Relatives and Friends are invited to her Funeral Mass, 11 am Friday, April 24, 2015 at St. Agnes Church, 233 W. Gay St. West Chester, PA 19380.

Visitation will be held from 6 - 9pm Thursday, April 23rd at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, Inc. 410 North Church Street, West Chester, PA 19380, 610-696-1181, www.DellaFH.com; and from 9-11am on Friday, April 24th at the above church.

Interment will be held privately alongside her husband in Arlington National Cemetery, VA.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her memory to The Arc of Chester County and/or Handi-Crafters and/or Immaculata University and/or Friends of Everhart and/or West Chester Railroad and/or the West Chester Republican Committee.

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