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Dr. Justine Perhosky, Ph.D

August 1, 1935

February 18, 2026

Dr. Justine Zbalishen Perhosky, Ph.D., left with the angels on February 18, 2026, surrounded by her family who loved and cherished her, leaving a void that will be impossible to fill.

Born in 1935, in Atlasburg, PA to Peter and Rosalia Zbalishen, Justine developed a deep devotion to her faith and family. She prayed hard for a sister, Elizabeth (Zbalishen) Dlugos, whom she loved like no other. She took great pride in education and excelled on many levels. She graduated from Carnegie High School in 1953, earned her RN from St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in 1956, her BSN from Duquesne University in 1961, her MSN from St. John’s University in New York in 1963, and later completed her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh in 1987.

Justine loved the nursing profession and was known for her work ethic, leadership, and unwavering integrity. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing, the Pennsylvania Nursing Association, and the Pennsylvania League for Nursing.

She began her career as a staff nurse in the nursery at St. Joseph’s Hospital and later served as a clinical instructor at Woodville State Hospital, where she secured a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) grant for an innovative psychiatric aide training program. In 1963, she assisted in developing the Associate Degree Program at Point Park College. She went on to serve as Associate Professor at Duquesne University, Associate Director of Nursing at Mayview State Hospital, and adjunct faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and Waynesburg College.

In 1987, she was appointed by the Pennsylvania Nursing Association to serve on the Advisory Committee to the State Joint Commission on Mental Health Law regarding service delivery. She proudly became the first nurse to serve on the St. Clair Hospital Board of Directors and most recently held the title of Director Emeritus. She also served on the Board of Directors for Chartiers Mental Health. She was an active member of the Ladies of Charity at Saint Raphael Church.

Love and dedication had no boundaries when it came to Justine’s family. She loved her late parents and her husband Paul Perhosky, for whom she provided loving nursing care to all of them in their final years.

She is survived by her loving sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Vincent Dlugos; her nieces and nephews: Godchild Maria (Terrence) Steiner, Joy (Vyom) Bhuta, Tom (Dina) Dlugos, Tim (Nicole) Dlugos, and Terrence (Amanda) Dlugos; Godchild Natalie Nettles; Maria Ziolkowski; many nieces and nephews in the Perhosky family; and her great-nieces and nephews, Makenzie, Noah, Maggie, Mia, Melina, Olivia, Lilia, Sara, Evan, Alex, Vivian, Joshua, Jonathan, and Jacob.

Justine cherished time with family and friends at her cabin on Davey Hill, boating along the rivers of Pittsburgh and at Lake Kinzua. She loved hosting New Year’s Eve celebrations, making her famous Christmas jello, and praying fervently for everyone’s needs—whether for success on an exam or for good health.

She had a rare gift for turning strangers into fast friends, counseling with wisdom and showing genuine personal interest in everyone she met. She will be deeply missed and now stands as a warrior in Heaven, faithfully carrying out God’s will.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the SZAFRANSKI-EBERLEIN FUNERAL HOME INC., where family and friends will be received on Sunday, February 22, 2026 from 12:00pm - 3:00pm and 5:00pm - 8:00pm at 101 Third St., Carnegie. A nursing funeral service will be performed by the Angels of Allegheny nurses on Sunday at 2:30pm. A Parastas Service will be held at the funeral home on Sunday evening at 7pm. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church on Monday, February 23, 2026 at 10:00am. Following Mass, Justine will be laid to rest next to her husband, Paul, in Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a tax-deductible donation in Justine's name to:
Holy Protection of the Mother of God
PO Box 761
Carnegie Pa
15106

www.szafranski-eberleinfuneralhome.com (412)276-1107

Family Florals by:
Pete Donati and Sons
(412)835-4420

Tribute to Justine Perhosky By: Maria Steiner

Today we gather to celebrate the life of a truly extraordinary woman – Justine.

Though many of us knew her by other names too. To some she was Cookie. To others, Auntie. But no matter what we called her, we all knew the same woman-loving, steady, faithful, and fiercely devoted to her family.
Justine loved deeply. She didn’t just say it- she showed it. She was the kind of woman who made you feel seen. If you were in her presence, she was listening. Really listening. She had a rare gift of taking a genuine interest in your life – your worries, your joys, your everyday stories. She remembered the little things. She cared.

And if you were family, or in her circle, that love was magnified tenfold.

To her sister Betty, and to her beloved nieces and nephews – myself, Joy, Tom, Tim and Terry she wasn’t just an aunt. She was a second mother. Growing up just two doors away, she was a constant presence, a safe harbor, a watchful guardian of the neighborhood. She would tell you to call her the moment you got home- even though it was two houses away. That was Justine. Protective. Caring. Fiercely loving. She needed to know you were safe, and she wouldn’t rest until she did.

Her love wrapped around her family like a warm quilt – steady, comforting, always there.

Justine also had a joyful spirit. She loved boating with her husband Paul, on the Ohio River and up at Lake Kinzua, feeling the breeze on the water and the peace it brought with it. Her cabin on Davey Hill wasn’t just a place – it was part of her story. It was where memories were made, where family gathered - fishing in the pond and going to the Warren County fair. She knew how to savor life’s pleasures – not extravagantly, but gratefully.

And then there was her work- her calling - as nurse. Nursing wasn’t just what she did; it was who she was. She had a heart for it. Compassion came naturally to her. She understood that healing isn’t only physical. Sometimes people just needed someone to sit with them, to hear them, to reassure them. Justine did that beautifully. She never stopped being a nurse. She cared for her parents and her husband, Paul, through their illnesses. She was devoted, caring, never wavering in their care.

Her Catholic faith anchored her entire life. It guided the way she loved, the way she served, and the way she endured hardship. She loved to read on Good Friday. She had a deep devotion to the blessed Mother. She loved her church and could often be found making pierogies or delivering cards for the Ladies of Charity. She prayed for all of us. She trusted in God in the big things and in the small things. We often heard about how she prayed hard for a sister. Judging by the amazing sister and person she got in my mom, we knew she had a direct line to God’s ear.

Ninety years is a remarkable gift. And she filled those ninety years with purpose. She built a legacy in the nursing profession, with her vast accomplishments, earing a doctorate, sitting as the first nurse on the board at St. Clair Hospital. She built a legacy in her family, showing us, what integrity and hard work look like.
She showed us what it means to love fiercely. She showed us what it means to listen. She showed us what it means to live your faith powerfully.

And though our hearts ache today, we know this: the love she poured into us does not end here. It lives on in how we care for one another. It will live on as the many nurses she trained will care for their patients. It lives on every time we check to make sure someone got home safe.

We can almost hear her now: “Call me when you get in. “

Today, we trust that she has arrived safely – welcomed home by the God she served so faithfully. And perhaps she’s the one calling out to us now, reminding us to hold tight to one another until we meet again.
Justine – Cookie -Auntie- thank you. For your love. For your faith. And for being our second mother. For ninety beautiful years.

We will carry you with us always.

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