Emily Daneen Gosser

Emily Daneen Gosser, lovingly known as Daneen, passed away peacefully on January 24, 2025, in her hometown of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Born on May 8, 1944, in Ligonier, she spent her life dedicated to serving others with compassion and grace. Daneen was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Hoover Sr. and Ruthe Hoover (Dapper), as well as her brother, Robert Hoover Jr. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dr. Richard A. Gosser; her daughter, Heidi Grady (son-in-law Jack); her son, Michael Anthony (daughter-in-law Monica); her sister, Mary Ruthe Carnahan; her sister-in-law, Carolyn Hoover; her brother-in-law, Bob Gosser; five grandchildren, Matthew Anthony, Michael Anthony, Daniel Anthony, Shawn Grady (wife Ashleen) and Leah Grady; two great-grandchildren, Quinn and Bryson Grady; and many nieces and nephews.

A lifelong resident of Ligonier, Daneen built a remarkable career as a nurse, serving patients with care and dedication for nearly 40 years. Her commitment to helping others extended beyond her professional life; she served with distinction as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserves 99th General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Daneen’s faith and family were central to her life. She was devoted to God, her family, and those in need. Her passion for family and service was most evident as a wife, mother, grandmother (Nanny/Grandma), and great-grandmother (GiGi).  She lived her Catholic faith as a parishioner, RCIA catechist, founder of a folk choir, and member of the memorial choir of Holy Trinity Church (Ligonier), as an international volunteer with Intercultural Nursing (Dominican Republic), and as a co-worker in Presentation Ministries (Cincinnati).  Together with her husband Rich, she co-founded the Rich in Mercy Mission Institute, an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that promotes solidarity with the poor primarily in Haiti which she first visited in 1987.  In 2004 Daneen became a lay associate of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) and, together with her husband, made a permanent life commitment in 2014 as a Lay Spiritan and remained active in the US Spiritan Province and Lay Spiritan community until her illness precluded it.

Daneen also found great joy in music and shared her talent for singing generously. Whether singing alongside her husband Rich in various choirs or in ministering in song to hospice patients at the Bethlen Home in Ligonier and nursing homes in South Carolina, Daneen’s voice brought comfort, joy, and happiness to many.

A funeral mass and celebration of Daneen’s life will be held at Holy Trinity Church in Ligonier, PA, on Monday, March, 3rd, 2025, at 11 a.m., followed by a luncheon in her honor.

Daneen’s legacy of love and service will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. May her memory bring comfort and peace to all whose lives she touched.

Instead of sending flowers, please consider making donations in Daneen’s honor to the Rich in Mercy Institute (www.rimin.org) or the Alzheimer’s Association.