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First Posted: 3/8/2014 WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Words of affection &#8212; tributes, memories, recollections &#8212; intermingled with music, filled St. Mary&#8217;s Antiochian Orthodox Church and told the life story of former city mayor Lee A. Namey.
With flowers and photographs around the church, candles burned and sunlight brightened the stained glass of the room filled with sadness in the hearts of the 200 people in attendance.
Namey died Monday, his 69th birthday, at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. He was remembered by friends and family at the two-hour funeral service.
Fighting back tears, Namey&#8217;s grandchildren called him their &#8220;pop, role model, hero and best friend.&#8221; They talked about his constant support and how he forged unique relationships with each, knowing what it was that each of them needed from him.
His daughters, Angela Falzone and Tara Namey, recalled how their father instilled in them the need to always give 110 percent. They remembered him as always having time for them and their children and how he loved his community and how he performed countless good deeds, never asking or wanting accolades.
And they told of his love for their mother, the former Juanita Vincent.
&#8220;We&#8217;re all proud of my father,&#8221; Tara said. &#8220;I know my children are better people because of him.&#8221;
Longtime friend Joe DeVizia said Namey was &#8220;consistently present&#8221; in his family.
&#8220;He was a family man,&#8221; DeVizia said. &#8220;He was always there for his family, his friends and his community.&#8221;
DeVizia said he and Namey would have long discussions during weekly breakfast meetings, discussing issues of local, regional, national and global concern. He said he found Namey to be intuitive and clairvoyant &#8212; knowing almost immediately how to remedy a problem.
&#8220;He was such a bright man,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And he never was on an ego trip. He never sought credit or headlines. He made a difference in our lives.&#8221;
Jim Atherton Jr., said Namey left an indelible mark on his life, teaching him the importance of serving the community and helping his fellow man.
&#8220;He was a true pillar of his community,&#8221; Atherton said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I will ever be able to drive by Plymouth Avenue, City Hall or Riverside Park without looking for Lee. I&#8217;ll always remember him being there. He had a profound impact on my life.&#8221;
Renditions of Ave Maria and Wind Beneath My Wings brought tears to many eyes. Expressions of love and respect for a man who touched all of their lives in a significant way served as a farewell tribute to Namey.
His daughter, Tara, remembered finding her father late at night at the kitchen table working on city business. She said she would ask him what he was doing, but he wouldn&#8217;t say much.
&#8220;But he knew and understood the impact his decisions had on the people and the city,&#8221; she said.
Tara also told of the times her father would come to her house and clean her toilet or scrub her floors.
&#8220;My mom would say he never did that at home,&#8221; she said.
What was evident from the speakers was the influence that Namey had on people &#8212; from politics to parenting, he provided a blueprint for his children, grandchildren and anyone close to him on how to serve.
The Very Rev. David Hester, pastor at St. Mary&#8217;s Syrian Orthodox Church, said Namey was a &#8220;profound civil servant with a heart full of love.&#8221;
Namey served three four-year terms on City Council and two terms as mayor, leaving office in 1996. A 1963 Meyers High School graduate, he was a standout athlete at Meyers, playing halfback on the football team and running track. He also played football at Wilkes, graduating in 1968.
Namey retired in 2007 from the then-West Side Area Vocational-Technical School, where he served as principal.
Namey&#8217;s wife, Juanita, and his two daughters, Angela, 48, of Wilkes-Barre, and Tara, 41, of Lansdale, remembered him as a man whose family came first, and then his community.
They said Namey was an avid outdoorsman and he loved to attend athletic events that his grandchildren participated in, such as football, baseball, field hockey and golf. Namey leaves seven grandchildren &#8212; Samuel, Richard, Alesha and Lee Falzone, and Kadar, Elia and Kaden Namey.

Namey remembered for devotion to family, public service