Meredith Janeyl Barnhart, 37 – Accomplished Social Worker

Meredith Janeyl Barnhart, Ph.D., 37, formerly of Llewellyn, passed away suddenly at her home in Mahwah, New Jersey on Friday September 18.

A licensed social worker, Meredith was the Director of the Information Resource Center for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Rye Brook, New York for the past 4 years.

Before joining the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Meredith was a pediatric oncology worker at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York City for 10 years.

Born in Pottsville, Meredith grew up in Llewellyn before moving to New York City., Mamaroneck, N.Y. & most recently, Mahwah, New Jersey.

Meredith was a graduate of Minersville Area High School. She earned a Bachelors degree in Social Work from Elizabethtown College & a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbus University. Most recently Meredith defended her doctoral dissertation at Fordham University & earned a Doctorate of Philosophy in Social Work in April.

Meredith was extremely proud of her work in the field of oncology social work and as a member of many professional organizations, including the Association of Pediatric Oncology Social Workers & the Association of Social Work.

Most important to Meredith was the lasting and positive impact she had upon the patients who she was privileged to assist while they were preparing or undergoing treatment. She maintained countless lasting friendships with many of her coworkers and fellow professionals in the field of oncology social work. Her sudden death leaves not only a gaping void in the hearts of those who loved her dearly, but in the hearts of her relatives, friends, and colleagues and throughout the entirety of the oncology social work network of professionals.

Meredith is survived by her parents, Robert & Colleen (Maley) Barnhart of Llewellyn, her brother Matthew, husband of Caroline Barnhart, and daughters nieces, Jo & Lilah, her uncles, Elvin Maley (Betsy), Sheppton, Michael Maley (Linda), Pottsville, Robert Maley of Tremont, Michael Barnhart (Debbie) of Branchdale, Frank Barnhart (Jane) of Minersville, David Barnhart and Richard Kosmisky, husband of her late aunt Debbie, of Auburn, and her fiance’ Jeffrey Knapp of Mahwah, New Jersey, to whom she became engaged while on a recent vacation to St. Croix, great uncles and aunts & cousins.

Meredith was predeceased by her grandparents Elvin & Dorothy Maley of Minersville and Robert & Nancy Barnhart of Llewellyn, her godparents Jane & Glen Greenawald of Llewellyn and her beloved aunt, Deborah Kosmisky of Auburn.

A Funeral Service will be held at the Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., 104 S. 4th St., Minersville 11:00 am , Saturday, September 26.

All are respectfully invited to attend a visitation at the funeral home from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Interment Mount Peace Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, Meredith’s family kindly requests donations in her memory be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night national event to raise funds for and awareness of blood cancers. https://pages.lls.org/ltn/ctwhv/Wstchstr20/inmemory.

Due to COVID-19, all recommended social distancing, mask requirements, and public safety guidelines will be followed. Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., Minersville, is entrusted with the arrangements.