David J. Stianche has announced he will seek the Democratic nomination for the position of Carbon County Coroner on May 17, 2011. Stianche earned his Pennsylvania Funeral Directors license in 1991 after passing the National and State board examinations. He has served as a Deputy Coroner with the Northampton County Coroners Office and is a member of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association (PFDA) and the Eastern Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association (EPFDA).

Stianche has lived in Jim Thorpe since 1996, when he purchased the former Andrew Guman Funeral Home on the borough's east side. He was born and raised in the village of Hauto, outside of Nesquehoning. He attended Panther Valley School District and later graduated from Marian Catholic High School in 1986.Stianche is a 1990 graduate of Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, where he earned his Associates degree in Mortuary Science. He performed his 12-month internship with the Dale E. Schmidt Funeral Home in Nazareth. Before establishing his own business in Jim Thorpe, he worked at a number of funeral homes in the Lehigh Valley, including the Gaffney Funeral Homes.Stianche was born June 20, 1967 to the late Robert M. Stianche Sr., who passed away in December of 2003, and Joan H. (Cipko) Stianche, who passed in June of 2000.David married Gretchen (Horn) Stianche on September 20, 1997. Together, David and Gretchen have three children: Brooke, Grace and Isabella. He and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Jim Thorpe and David is a member of the Jim Thorpe Lions Club and the Germantown Grove Club.Stianche has dedicated his life to serving people during their time of tremendous loss and hardship. For 26 years he has dealt with death and death-related issues on a daily basis, whether that means helping other funeral directors, guiding people when a loved one's death is imminent, or directing them during their time of loss and afterward."I would be proud to serve my community as Carbon County Coroner and pledge that I will bring a full time focus to the office with less reliance on deputies." Stianche said. "It's a very important job and I am confident, with your help, I will bring honor and respect to the office."