A community says Wednesday they turned a tragedy into something positive. Johnstown Middle School janitor, Rudolph Janisko, was found murdered inside his West End home last August, but now his family is working to honor his memory.
“He devoted himself to the church, to his family, and to his job. We want his memory to live on in Johnstown High School,” says Marie Hammer. Hammer and her sisters couldn’t help but smile when talking about their brother, Janisko, “He always would try to put a smile on your face.”
That includes the faces of hundreds of Johnstown Middle School students, where Janisko worked.
“He was a hard worker. He didn’t miss a day of work,” GJSD Assistant Superintendent Amy Arcurio says. “He was really passionate about our students, our school, and just the Johnstown community.”
Janisko’s sisters wanted to make sure their brother’s name lived on in the Johnstown School district, where he worked for more than 20 years. They made a donation in his name to the high school’s Trojan College Access Fund, which will help a student looking to further their education in trades or vocational work.
They say Janisko himself did not further his education beyond high school, but always had the drive to help the young people in the school he loved and took care of each day.
“A comment was made tonight that the floors in heaven are probably never going to be as shiny as they are now, so that just made tonight,” Hammer says.
The family was able to present the school district with a $5,000 check Wednesday evening.