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<p>SWOYERSVILLE &#8212; Loved ones of a brother and sister who passed away within hours of each other this week were celebrating their lives Friday, filling the Lehman-Gregory Funeral Home with a sea of red, complete with a Christmas tree and bright flower arrangements.</p><p>Within hours of Geraldine Lukasavage&#8217;s death Tuesday night, the family was at the bedside of her brother Michael Budnick, who passed away shortly after.</p><p>Still, Susan Bowman, Lukasavage&#8217;s daughter, was overwhelmed not only with sadness but with gratitude when she spoke of her mom.</p><p>&#8220;Mom took care of my Uncle Mike who had Down syndrome,&#8221; she said. &#8220;She was such a giving person to everyone.&#8221;</p><p>Bowman said members of the family attending Friday night&#8217;s viewing were dressed in red in honor of her mother&#8217;s love of Christmas.</p><p>&#8220;This is the kind of dress that Mom would make us wear and we wouldn&#8217;t want to,&#8221; she said. &#8220;So, we dressed this way because it would have made her very happy.&#8221;</p><p>As family members gathered, each had a memory to share and a story to tell.</p><p>Avid Buffalo Bills fans, both Lukasavage and Budnick attended games for over 20 years.</p><p>Sister Rose Emerson said Lukasavage attended her last game while on oxygen.</p><p>&#8220;She said she wanted to go to the game, no matter what,&#8221; said Emerson.</p><p>Emerson remembers a time over 30 years ago after her husband passed away she didn&#8217;t want to celebrate Christmas, but her sister came to her home in Buffalo, New York, putting up her tree, insisting she share in the Christmas spirit.</p><p>Just a week ago, Lukasavage once again made the trip to Buffalo to help her sister put up the tree, always choosing each ornament, its perfect placement and truly enjoying the result.</p><p>Funeral director Maryann Lehman-Gregory and a friend of the family said the service fit Lukasavage &#8220;to a tee.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;If she were here to plan this, this is exactly what it would be like,&#8221; said Lehman-Gregory.</p><p>Many credit Lukasavage, 75, with adding to both the quality and length of her brother&#8217;s life.</p><p>&#8220;When Uncle Mike went to the doctor recently, at 72, the doctor couldn&#8217;t believe that he had lived such a long life,&#8221; said Bowman. &#8220;Mom&#8217;s TLC added 30 years to his life.&#8221;</p><p>An array of photos on display gave attendees a glimpse into the joy and fun that defined the lives of the siblings.</p><p>Looking at a photo of her mother, smiling, sitting on a motorcycle, Bowman said, &#8220;that was Mom sitting on a random motorcycle somewhere.&#8221;</p><p>A photo showed Budnick dressed as Elvis, complete with a wig.</p><p>&#8220;He loved Elvis,&#8221; said Bowman. &#8220;He loved living life to the fullest.&#8221;</p><p>Still the celebratory spirit was tinged with sadness as Richard Lukasavage said goodbye to his high school sweetheart and his wife of 53 years.</p><p>As Lukasavage is survived by four children, 14 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, her generous spirit and love of life will continue for generations to come.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Siblings Michael Budnick and Geraldine Lukasavage, seen here in a photo, passed away within hours of each other. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_funerals01-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Siblings Michael Budnick and Geraldine Lukasavage, seen here in a photo, passed away within hours of each other. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_funerals02-2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Susan Lukasavage Bowman, Dennis Lukasavage, Mary Rybka, Richard Lukasavage Jr. and Richard Lukasavage Sr. surround a picture Michael Budnick and Geraldine Lukasavage at the Lehman-Gregory Funeral Home in Swoyersville Friday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/web1_funerals02-2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Susan Lukasavage Bowman, Dennis Lukasavage, Mary Rybka, Richard Lukasavage Jr. and Richard Lukasavage Sr. surround a picture Michael Budnick and Geraldine Lukasavage at the Lehman-Gregory Funeral Home in Swoyersville Friday. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Family of Swoyersville brother and sister express sadness, gratitude</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Geri Gibbons</p><p>ggibbons@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Lives of Swoyersville siblings who died within hours of each other are celebrated at memorial service