24th annual holiday window painting event honors Edward Luksha

Bill O’Boyle, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·3 min read

Nov. 26—WILKES-BARRE — For the 24th year, Rosemary Luksha and her sister, Barbara Roche, gathered a group of volunteers to honor their brother, Edward Luksha, by painting holiday scenes and characters on windows at Children's Service Center on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre.

Held annually in memory of therapist Edward Luksha, the event was previously hosted by the now-closed Community Counseling Services, where Luksha worked for many years.

"We want to carry on the spirit of enrichment by painting these beautiful holiday scenes throughout CSC," Rosemary Luksha said.

Linda R. Wiseman, Director of Development at CSC, said, "It was a very colorful Black Friday this year, when a team of seasoned and new holiday artists/painters convened at Children's Service Center to paint holiday scenes on the Outpatient Building, which houses therapy, primary care, pharmacy and other services for the community."

The annual remembrance honors Edward Luksha and is sponsored by the Luksha-Roche family. This year's painters included students at Sue Hand's Imagery, and volunteers from Greater Federation of Women's Club-West Side, and Saint John the Baptist Church, as well as art educators Ashley Lunger (Dallas School District) and Nicole Delevan (Wallenpaupack Area School District), and other affiliated artists.

Rosemary Luksha said the group's continued efforts "lovingly illustrate Edward Luksha's life philosophy of enriching the lives of individuals struggling with emotional and mental health concerns."

Children's Service Center, in recognition of the painters' contributions, celebrated the occasion with a pizza party for all participants.

Painters who decorated the glass windows with scenes of candy canes, gingerbread men, polar bears, and Peanuts/Charlie Brown characters included: Rosemary Luksha, Barbara Roche, Irene Mackiewicz, Maureen Finnerty, Bonnie MacDonald, Deidre Kaminski, Carla Finn, Mary Pat Connell, Christina Kinsman, Jennifer Ardoline, Theresa Letner, Aileen Whalen, Anne Jenkins, Becky McCuen, Colleen Weis, Samantha Avery, Ashley Lunger (Dallas School District), Pattie Delevan (affiliated artist), Nicole Delevan (Wallenpaupack Area School District), Amelia Grudkowski, Paicey Clower, Lexie Oster, Lindsay Matinas, Evelyn Migatulski, Bailey Stavridis, Mollie Rheott, Alyssa Pisano, Kristin Pisano, Allie Stallard, Caroline Stallard, and Sarah Stallard (Sue Hand's Imagery).

Rosemary Luksha and Barbara Roche thanked all of the painters for their continued service in the yearly art event of remembrance honoring the life of Edward Luksha, and to Children's Service Center for hosting the occasion.

Children's Service Center, together with its adult care affiliate, Robinson Counseling Center, will serve a projected 13,000-plus clients in 2022 with treatment and support for mental health, substance use and autism disorders, including crisis intervention.

Earlier this year, CSC opened the Conyngham Primary Health Care Center to integrate physical and mental health services under one roof, serving people of all ages with experts in internal medicine and family medicine.

Visit — cscwv.org for more information.

"My brother, Edward, always liked to enrich the lives of people struggling with mental disorders," said his sister, Rosemary.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.