Burke Weiss
PITTSTON — Sean Rooney, Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick president, recently named Erin Burke Weiss as recipient of 2025 Woman of the Year. Weiss will be recognized during the Friendly Sons Annual Women’s Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 2, at The Banks Waterfront, Pittston.
“I am extremely humbled and honored to be receiving this award from the organization that my father loved and served for 68 years,” Weiss said.
A West Pittston native now residing in Forty Fort with husband Michael and children Michael and Anna, Weiss is the daughter of the late William and Nora Burke.
While growing up in West Pittston, her parents instilled two valuable lessons in her life: be proud of your Irish Heritage and selfless service to others! Her parents were truly Irish proud and continuously sought to help others. Weiss has continued to live by those valuable lessons and use them for raising her children.
Her father, who passed away in Oct. 2024, ensured Erin had “Irish Pride.” His Irish pride was exemplified through his sustaining membership and past duties as President of The Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St Patrick in 1976.
Weiss continued to embrace her parents’ values and followed in her late mother’s footsteps becoming an educator in 1996. Erin a 1988 graduate of Wyoming Area, 1992 graduate of Marywood University receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders and a Master of Arts in Teaching 96’. Over the next 28-years, Weiss dedicated her life to donating her time to after-school activities while teaching elementary school children.
She began her career at St. Anthony of Padua in the Archdiocese of St Louis, Missouri. There she taught Social Studies and Math while volunteering to coach in the Bellarmine Speech League as well as the volleyball team. After five years in Missouri, Weiss felt the call to come home to the Greater Pittston area.
Upon her return, she received a teaching position at her alma mater, Wyoming Area Catholic (WAC), Exeter. While there, Weiss coached forensics, cheerleading, started intramural volleyball, and was instrumental in WAC’s inclusion into the Catholic Cross-Country League. She coached the cross-country team at WAC for 20-years. She served as Athletic Director and coached cross-country at Seton Catholic before its closure.
Besides being able to go to WAC every day with her children, one of her most rewarding experiences was organizing the Morlyn Lesho Memorial Run. This run helped raise funds to establish a scholarship at King’s College in Morlyn’s name. It was held for two years and was able to fulfill the scholarship, make a generous donation to the SPCA, and honor an exceptional young man.
Recently, Weiss accepted a position in the Scranton School District as a Speech and Language Pathologist.
She continues to live her life dedicated to the lessons learned from her parents and tries to be an example to others, especially her children.
Weiss and her family are members of St. John the Evangelist Church, Pittston, and both her husband and son are members of The Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick.
Tickets can be purchased for the luncheon honoring Weiss though any active member of The Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick or stopping at Pittston Knights of Columbus, 55 S. Main St., Pittston from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday evenings.
WBRE/WYOU Meteorologist Valerie Smock is the event-featured speaker.
