Stanley R. "Stush" Apryasz

Stanley R. "Stush" Apryasz, 73, of Blairsville passed away peacefully at Brookdale Latrobe on Monday, October 13, 2025.  The son of the late Raymond S and H. Virginia Apryasz, he was born April 14, 1952 in Latrobe, PA..  He was a 1970 graduate of Blairsville Senior High School and a 1972 graduate of the Institute of Computer Management in Pittsburgh. 

His father instilled the love of car racing in him very early and took him to several local race tracks. He raced his Ford Falcon in drag races at Keystone Raceway Park, Dune Buggies at Jennerstown Speedway and, along with his two sons,  go carts at Hunter Hill race track. When working in Cincinnati, Ohio, he met the Hoffman racing family and, along with gaining friends, he became a part time pit crew member for their sprint car and Indy cars for many years.  Stush was employed by FMC Technologies as an international sales engineer of mining equipment and traveled all over the world analyzing coal mine's needs. Multiple years he was awarded the salesman of the year.  He was also a member of the Blairsville Volunteer Fire Company.   He successfully chaired their annual carnival for years. Stush was a former Blairsville Borough EMA Director and along with close friend and advisor, George Lawlor, he created the Blairsville tornado warning system.   He even found time to sell Fire Trucks for three manufacturers.  He was very much known for his Stush'isms that he claimed helped his sales.  Stush was a very active and busy guy!

Surviving is his wife of 51 years, Toni (Roble) Apryasz;  daughter, Holly Best (Brian) Port Orange FL; sons, Raymond, Moon Township, PA and Joshua (Shelly) Willis, TX.   Those who will miss their DziaDziu's (grandfather) laugh terribly are Cecilia, Tyson, and Finley Best; Eliana, Iris and Stanley Apryasz.  He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Sandra & Sharon.

Family and friends will be received at the Ferguson Funeral Home, 25 West Market St, Blairsville on Wednesday, October 15th from 2-4 and 6-8 pm with a wake service at 7:30 pm. Prayers of transfer will be on Thursday at 10:15 AM in the funeral home prior to the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am at SS Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 155 North Brady Street, Blairsville, PA with Fr. Sam Lamendola officiating.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, 2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120, King of Prussia, PA  19406.   

"Believe you can, and you're halfway there"  T Roosevelt

Watch Stush's loving memory video:  https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/2T3R6MB6XCGCD9Q4

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Stanley R. "Stush" Apryasz, please visit our floral store.