The LuLac Edition #3543, June 30th, 2017

EMAIL TO L.A. TARONE 

To: LAT58@cruising the universe.ca.org

From: LuLacPolletter.com

Hey L.A.:
I know you’ve been traveling in another place and time since last Sunday night at 7:06PM. But what a week it was. I bet you never realized you’d create such a stir by leaving us so soon.
The airwaves and on line remembrances would have blown up that Blackberry you tried to show me how to work at Guardian. Thursday night your combined families of WILK, WYLN TV 35, the Standard Speaker, the city of Hazleton and your listeners/viewers joined your blood family in celebrating your jam packed life.
Plus your Sunday Night Hall of Fame was blaring in the background. Everybody from a Wilkes Barre tow truck driver to a Lackawanna County Commissioner showed up.
Today more people came to the Church on Vine Street to say another goodbye. I’m sure you looked in once in a while and just shook your head.
Personally as far as LuLac goes, we’re going to do one last wrap up of your time with us. I’ve been off line since Sunday because quite frankly bud, nothing was worth writing about this week except you. Don’t gag because you hated it when I got sentimental on ya, but you’ll be remembered as well as treasured.
Tomorrow LuLac we'll get back to writing the opinions you used to love to hate. But every day since Sunday, it was all you man.
Back to work for me L.A., if the world you live in has senses, I hope wherever you,  the Diet Doctor Pepper is ice cold, and the food is as tasty as a Third Base Hoagie or a Jimmy’s Hot Dog. I pray the convertible top is always down and the soft breeze you might feel comes from all of us still blowing kisses to you from down here.

See you when I see ya. 

Your exasperating friend,

Yonki

THE WEEK THAT WAS TARONE

This was the week of Tarone in Northeastern Pennsylvania. L.A. unlike many of us could take a compliment. When a caller would praise him, he’d always respond with a robust “Thank you”.
WILK had remembrances through the week. Mrs. FB said that on Monday’s Sue Henry Show it was like an on air wake. The comments continued through the week.
Thursday night at the Moran Funeral home that sits in the shadow of the studios of WYLN TV hundreds came to pay their respects to L.A. People started lining the one way street at 5:15Pm. A flag and proclamation from Congressman Barletta and a display of Tarone’s favorite ensembles flanked Tarone’s remains.
Throughout the night old friends, public officials, co workers, neighbors, viewers, fans and just plain folks stopped by and visited with his Uncle and Aunt, his niece Crystal and nephew Charles. Blaring on a corner table was l.A.’s Sunday Night Hall of Fame Show from WKAB. Again Mrs. FB commented that this was the first vitiation where the deceased was still speaking to us. In another area were the TV clips.
It was bittersweet but filled with love and respect for the dean of Talk Show hosts here in our little section of the world.
There were some tears but for every one of those there were 25 smiles or stories about Louis Alfred Tarone. I’m sure L.A. would have grudgingly approved. With one exception, he'd most likely want us to crank up the music. B sides included of course!

THE MASS FOR L.A. TARONE

Today at Queen of Heaven Parish at Our Lady of Grace Church on Vine Street in Hazleton about 75 people said goodbye for the final time to L.A. Tarone. As the hymn “Amazing Grace” chimed, mourners walked into the elegant church with the sturdy oak pews. L.A., always on time in life followed form. He was there waiting for us. The pageantry of Roman Catholicism (which we debated for years) was on full display.
His co worker Paula Deignan read a passage from John 14.2 which resonated with me. At my father’s funeral and on his tombstone are the words, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”. How fitting was that passage for L.A. whose voice and visage occupied many a room in all of Northeastern Pennsylvania. As L.A. was fading from this life, those many houses and rooms showed him the great amount of love that was due him.
The homily by Father Anthony Generose was was a poignant remembrance of L.A.’s life. 

Father told the story of the Resurrection and how it relates to death in this modern society. The Priest wondered out loud how L.A. would cover Christ. What questions he would have for him and the Apostles. You could only imagine an intrepid Tarone in the after life tracking those storied saints down and asking his questions relentlessly. Later Mike Moran in a Eulogy with Sue Henry began by saying “Father I can assure you that L.A. Tarone is right now working on Jesus to get that story”. Nonplussed, the Priest shot back, “And I can assure you that Jesus is working on l.A. too right now”.
After Communion, his dear friends Mike Moran and Sue Henry gave remembrances. 

It was a flawless tandem of short stories giving the church goers much relief among the pain. Sue read a lyric from a Rolling Stones song showing off his love for that band. The lyric urged us all to sing the songs we chose.
The end of the service ended with Moran asking for group participation. He asked everyone to join in the classic Tarone sign off, “If you can do it, it ain’t bragging”.
The church erupted in the chant.
Mrs. Palermo, a friend of L.A.’s from his beloved hometown asked what was the phrase, my wife repeated it for her.
She leaned back in the pew and smiled and said “Oh yes!”.
L.A. was laid to rest later this morning. 

(Photos: LuLac archives, Mrs. LuLac)