Ilona Ann (Lorenz) Leanch, 84, of Allentown, passed away March 30, 2025. She was the loving wife of the late Nicholas E. Leanch Jr. Born in Northampton, she was the daughter of the late John and Anna (Kometic) Lorenz. She was a member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church where she and her husband enjoyed volunteering for the church activities. They also enjoyed traveling together and spending time with their family. Our beautiful mother will be deeply missed.
Survivors: children- Kenneth “Kenny” Leanch, Teresa “Terri” Rom and husband John, Christine “Tina” Giacobbe and husband Michael; grandchildren- Amanda, Tyler, Gianna and Abigail; great grandchildren- Carter and Peyton; brother- John Lorenz; sister- Mary Panik. She was predeceased by her sister- Patricia Flynn.
A Calling Time will be held on Thursday, April 3rd 9-10AM in Kohut Funeral Home Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:30AM in St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church 924 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Laurel Cemetery, Whitehall.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Ilona’s memory to Lehigh Valley Hospice or to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church care of the funeral home.
John Borrell
John J. Borrell, 84, of Nazareth, passed away March 23, 2025. Born in Allentown, he was the son of the late Charles Borrell and Dora L. (Simonelli) Borrell Thompson. John served in the U.S. Marine Corp. during the Vietnam War. He received the Parachuter’s Badge, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Gallantry Cross, and 3 Bronze Stars. He retired from Mack Trucks after 30 years of service. He will be deeply missed.
He is survived by his daughter- Tina Masuda and husband Michael of Santa Clara, CA.
Services will be Private for the family care of Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the March of Dimes care of the funeral home.
Diane Willenbecher
Diane R. (Smith) Willenbecher, 75, of Whitehall formerly of Allentown, passed away March 21, 2025 in the trauma ICU of Lehigh Valley Hospital. She was the wife of the late Eugene J. Willenbecher. Born in Allentown, she was the daughter of the late Ophelia L. (Meitzler) and Lawrence E. Smith Sr.
Diane graduated from Louis E. Dieruff High School in 1968. She was employed as a CNA with Bayada Nurses, worked for Allentown School District in several school cafeterias, and later retired from Computer Designs. She loved listening to her oldies music, going to oldies dances, and bowled at the HariGary before it closed as well as with Parkway Guys and Dolls league. She enjoyed volunteering when her children and granddaughter were younger at Holy Spirit School, from being a lunch lady, helping paint the walls in the kindergarten hallway, and chaperoning her granddaughter’s field trips. She was a member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church. She will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
Survivors: daughter- Kimberly (Willenbecher) Schaffer of Allentown, son- Brian Willenbecher of Schnecksville, granddaughter- Nikayla Schaffer of Allentown, sister- Debra (Smith) Appleton (Charlie) of Orefield. She was predeceased by her brothers- Lawrence E. Smith Jr. (Dinah) of Ohio, Robert Smith (Susan) of Allentown, a great niece- Sabrina Acevedo and a great- great nephew Sebastian Acevedo.
A Calling Time will be held Thursday, March 27, 2025, 10-11:30AM with a Service to follow at 11:30AM all in Kohut Funeral Home, Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Inurnment to follow in St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church Cemetery.
Contributions can be made in Diane’s memory to the church care of Kohut Funeral Home Inc.
RoseMary Mayernik
RoseMary Mayernik, 95, of Whitehall, passed away on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, while residing at Fellowship Manor. She was the loving wife of Frank L. Mayernik for 55 years until his passing in 2010. Born in Allentown, she was the daughter of the late Karol and Amalia Prachar. RoseMary was a lifetime member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church. In the 1950’s she worked for Queen City Loan Company, even making red print headlines during the time of a string of robberies. Post her career, she became a homemaker. RoseMary will be remembered for her care and dedication to her family, her “loveable sandwiches” and her kind & quiet demeanor. She enjoyed traveling with Frank all around the U.S., family trips to Wildwood, loved the Nittany Lions (watching every game from start to finish no matter what time they were on TV), and playing her favorite game of Scrabble; especially her weekly game and visit from her niece, Susan.
She is survived by her children- Carol Anne, Janice (Jeffrey), Charles (MaryLou); grandchildren- Jessica (Angelo), Abigail (Joseph), Jillian (Sean), Lydia (Andrew), Justin (Sara); great grandchildren- Joseph, Logan, Kennedy Lou and baby boy expected arrival in July; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and brother Walter and sister Agnes Roncoroni.
The Mayernik family would like to thank all the staff of Fellowship Manor for their hard work and care of our mom over these last years.
A viewing will be held on Sunday, March 16th 3-5PM in Kohut Funeral Home, Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. A viewing will be held Monday, March 17th 10-11AM in the church with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11AM all in St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church 924 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Allentown.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the church care of the funeral home.
Teresa Neupauer
Teresa L. (Michalik) Neupauer, 97, of Whitehall, passed away February 18, 2025 in her home. She was the loving wife of the late William Neupauer. Born in Summit Hill, she was the daughter of the late John “Jan” and Victoria “Wiktorja” (Lukasik) Michalik. She worked for Western Electric and then for Nina Sportswear before her retirement. She was a devote member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church, where she participated in their Auxiliary and choir. Teresa was an avid Phillies, Duke and Notre Dame fan. Teresa enjoyed baking, bird watching and loved pugs. She was very proud of her Polish heritage and enjoyed cooking traditional food and even spoke fluent Polish. In her own words, “Most of all she adored being Babcia to her 4 grandchildren Danielle, Erin, Joseph and Madeline and Ciocia to her nieces and nephews.”
Survivors: son- Robert husband of Suzanne of Allentown, daughter- Teresa Ann Rasbold wife of Ronald of Whitehall, grandchildren- Danielle Neupauer-Russo wife of Jonathan Russo, Erin Neupauer, Joseph Rasbold and Madeline Rasbold. She was predeceased by her siblings- Emeric Michalik, Mary Krutsick, Irene Michalik, Victoria Michalik, Elizabeth Porambo.
A viewing will be held on Saturday, February 22nd 9-10:30AM in Kohut Funeral Home Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 11AM in St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church 924 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Resurrection Cemetery.
Contributions can be made in Teresa’s memory to the church care of the funeral home.
Jane Duda
Jane (Andraszek) Duda, 81, of Allentown, passed away February 8, 2024. She was the loving wife of 52 years to Peter A. Duda. Born in Poland, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Salomea (Stanczuk) Andraszek. Jane was a member of the former Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church. She will be deeply missed.
Survivors: husband- Peter Duda; siblings-Krzysztof, Krystyna, Danuta, Mieczyslaw and Wojtek Andraszek & their families; nieces- Jessica Andraszek & her family and Margaret Bohaterewicz & her family; and many cousins.
A viewing will be held Monday, February 17th 9-10AM with a Service to follow at 10AM all in Kohut Funeral Home Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
Irene Valek
Irene Catherine Valek, 96, of North Catasauqua, passed away January 12, 2025. She was the loving wife of the late William S. Valek. They were married for 33 years before his passing in 1995, and lived in Allentown.
Born in Upper Macungie Township, she was the daughter of the late Stephen and Veronica (Hudak) Majercak and grew up in Stiles and Northampton.
Irene was a member of St John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church in Allentown.
She was a housewife while her husband owned and operated the Allentown Floral Shop on Fullerton Avenue, and then was employed at the Schneider Mfg. Co. Inc. in Allentown for several years.
Irene loved to travel and go to the casinos and the Pocono Mountains, loved to sew, enjoyed polkas and going antique shopping, playing the lottery and bingo, rooted for the Philadelphia Phillies, and loved going to her Hudak family reunions in Cementon. She also treasured her family cats.
She is survived by daughters Mary Rose of Albany, NY and Kristina (Vincent) DiNino of North Catasauqua, and her grandchildren Adam Silverstein, Victoria Markowitz and Jacqueline Markowitz, and sister Rose (Dennis) O’Donnell of Mansfield, Texas.
Irene was predeceased by sisters Mary Kovach, Helen Tacker, Margaret Csulik, Josephine Krywczuk, and brothers Stephen Jr., William, John and Paul Majercak, many nieces, nephews and cousins in the Lehigh Valley, in Texas, and Lendak, Slovakia.
Funeral services will be private.
Contributions can be made in Irene’s memory to the Lehigh Valley Humane Society.
Mildred Hajducko
Mildred S. (Fletcher) Hajducko, 96, of Allentown, passed away December 26, 2024. She was the wife of the late Andrew Hajducko. They were married for 51 years in 2007. Mildren was born in NJ in April 1928, raised in Milton, PA, and graduated from Lewisburg High School in 1946. She attended Northampton Community College in Northampton, MA, while taking care of her grandparents in Amherst, MA. She was the daughter of the late Margaret (Fish) and Francis Fletcher. She worked as a bookkeeper and billing clerk in the offices of Lehigh Safety Shoe Co., Meyer and Sheldon Mehrman and Wrights Knit Wear all in Allentown, PA. She was a member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church.
Survivors: daughter Andrea Hajducko of Allentown, PA, sister Linda Hayward of CA, nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by brothers Edward and Thomas, sisters Eleanor Strauss, Dorothy Burr, Ruth Miner, Barbara Lindstrom, Nancy and Judith Fletcher.
A Calling Time will be held on Tuesday, December 31st 10-11AM with a Service at 11AM all in Kohut Funeral Home, Inc. 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Cedar Hill Memorial Park.
Donations may be made in Mildred’s memory to the church care of Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.