Michael L. Mascho, owner of the Mascho Funeral Home, Bradford, has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for McKean County Coroner in the May 16th primary.

He is a fourth generation native of McKean County who was born and raised in Bradford.  He is a 1995 graduate of the Bradford Area High School and he also attended the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford before finishing his education at the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science where he earned his degree in 1999.  While attending college he had various training in Anatomy, Pathology, Microbiology and Psychology as well as many other aspects of deathcare.  After completing his education; he returned to Bradford to serve his internship and work at the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes as a funeral director until 2006 when he had the chance to move to Cumberland County, furthering his experience with another funeral home.  In 2008 he took advantage of the opportunity to move back to his hometown and purchase the former Koch-Chatley-Gaeto Funeral Home.  In 2011 he earned his New York State Funeral Directors license in order to better serve the local community.  Michael is currently a member of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, the Western Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, and St. Bernard Catholic Church.

Mascho said “Being the owner of a funeral home puts me the unique position to use my own equipment and facilities for the county’s benefit at no added cost to the taxpayers.”  “It is a benefit to the county when a funeral home owner is the coroner.  I have a job where I am already on call 24/7.  This is why the McKean County Coroner has been a funeral home owner for the past 40+ years.” “One may ask how can someone be expected to be the coroner while employed somewhere else?  If you hold another job where people count on you; how is one able to just up and leave if an emergency occurs when you are needed elsewhere?” 

“For the past 24 years I have worked hand in hand with the McKean County, Elk County, Potter County and Cameron County Coroner’s offices.  I gained a great rapport while working alongside several McKean County Fire Departments (whether it being the city or volunteer departments), the Pennsylvania State Police, Bradford City Police Department, Foster Township Police Department and the Bradford Township Police Department on many occasions when a tragedy occurred as well as countless members of the medical profession in determining cause of death and filing death certificates in Pennsylvania as well as New York State.”  “There is something to be said for having hands on experience versus not having real world experience.”  “On a multitude of occasions medical personnel have asked for my professional opinion for my thoughts on what a cause of death could be when someone had died unexpectedly.”

“Having been a funeral director for as long as I have; I know what it takes to work with a family during a tragedy.  It is something that takes years of experience to be able to deal with delicately.”  “There is nothing more important than family. I am able to provide the people of the county the type of compassion and empathy they need and deserve when they may unfortunately find themselves faced with these situations in their own family.”  “Also; with being a funeral director the public has access to me whenever they may have questions or concerns.  I have a publicly known phone number I personally answer and I am also readily available as I live right here at the funeral home.”

Currently the county does not have morgue for the deceased and when someone needs to be held until an investigation is completed or until a family has been located; the county uses a funeral home.  If elected Mascho would like to build a morgue for the county’s use without using any taxpayer money.  Mascho says “This is a thought that I have had for a few years now and if elected I would like to further pursue this idea.  It is something that I can use for my own business; so, if I could build this with my own funds for my funeral home’s use and let the county use it without any charge, saving the taxpayers any financial burdens why wouldn’t I?”  “Being a business owner since 2008 I have the intimate knowledge on keeping costs down by being as financially responsible as possible and yet still being able to perform effectively; this is a trait that I will bring to the coroner’s office with me when elected.”

Mascho who lives in his hometown of Bradford with his wife Olivia Dunn Mascho and their five-year old son Michael Jr., gratefully asks for your support in the upcoming primary and to also follow his campaign Facebook page (Michael L. Mascho for McKean County Coroner) to get up to date information about his campaign.