Susan Marie Phillips, 64, of Bethlehem passed away July 21, 2026. Born in Bethlehem, she was the daughter of the late James E. and Mary R. (Dugan) Phillips. Sensitive and generous, Susan was willing to help anyone in need. For her family she was a true caregiver, whether that meant offering her physical presence or an ear to listen. Her thoughtful conversation and sharp sense of humor will be deeply missed.

She is survived by her children Lindsay Cawley and husband Jason, Daniel Boyd, Amanda Boyd, Michael Boyd; grandchildren Evelyn, Sam, Corvair and David; sisters Karen Taylor and Joan Phillips; brothers Mark and Brian Phillips; and her aunt, Sister Joan Dugan. She was predeceased by her brother Jeffrey Phillips.

Services will be private for the family.

Nancy (Gubish) Petruny, 89, of Bethlehem, passed away June 24, 2026. She was the loving wife of the late Francis “Pat” M. Petruny. Born in Bethlehem, she was the daughter of the late Alex and Altha (Kunsman) Gubish. Nancy graduated from Bethlehem High School and retired from Western Electric/Lucent Tech. She was a member of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church and the Red Hat Society. Nancy enjoyed playing bridge, golfing, reading and dancing with her husband at the Brookside Country Club. She also enjoyed going to the beach in Ocean City, NJ and traveling to Florida every winter. She will be deeply missed.
Survivors: son- Michael Petruny and his wife Rene, granddaughters- Kendra and Morgan Petruny, brother- William Kunsman, nieces and nephews- Steven, Melissa, Michelle, Glenn, Tina and Denise, companion- Lou Palentes. She was predeceased by her son- Christopher and her brothers- George, Alex and Ronald.
A viewing will be held on Tuesday, June 30th 10-10:30AM with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 10:30AM all in Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church 1861 Catasauqa Rd Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial will be Private in Holy Saviour Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Nancy’s memory to the 4 Diamonds Fund (memorializing Christopher) or to AHC Home Health and Hospice care of Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Edward J. Palenchar, 95, of Bethlehem, passed away February 23, 2026. He was the loving husband of the late Eleanor (Farkas) Palenchar. Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Frank and Anna (Kostelnick) Palenchar. Edward worked as a painter for many years, retiring from Bethlehem Steel. He was a member of Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church. He was a Golden Hiller, enjoyed traveling with his wife and was Lehigh University and Eagles and Phillies sports fan. He also enjoyed playing cards especially family favorite Pinochle. He will be deeply missed.

Survivors: sons- Thomas and wife Linda of Charleston, WV, Richard and wife Jennifer of Bethlehem, David of Easton, Robert and wife Tina, of Nazareth; grandchildren- Andrew, Nicole, Jason, Randy, Aubrey, Ashley, Joshua, Jordyn, Tayler and Madisyn; 13 great grandchildren; brother- Richard and wife Bonnie of Hellertown. He was predeceased by his brothers- William and Francis.

A viewing will be held on Wednesday, March 4th 9:30-10:30AM with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 10:30AM all in Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church 730 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Holy Saviour Cemetery, Bethlehem.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or to Family Pillars Hospice care of Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Theresa Kristof Prah died January 25, 2026 in Bethlehem, PA. She was 94. Theresa was born in McAdoo PA, the youngest daughter of Reverend Nicholas Kristof and Helen (Zima) Kristof, and grew up in New Salem, PA. She was married to Joseph Prah for forty-six years. Theresa's life passions were religion, traveling and needlework. She was a member of Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church and Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church. Theresa’s love of travel took her to Europe and Asia first by steamships and propeller planes. In 2012, she and her family traveled to the Ruthenian homeland of her parents, meeting cousins and touring with a relative. Among other works, she made hundreds of quilts, some of which were appliqued, some fashioned from hand-dyed fabrics, all made with gusto.
Theresa was predeceased by her siblings Mary Beifuss, Andrew George Kristof, Martha Kristof Smith, Ernest Kristof, Joachim Kristof, Josaphat Kristof, Zoltan Joseph Kristof, her husband Joseph David Prah and sons Joseph Gerard Prah and Gregory Nicholas Prah. She is survived by three children, twelve grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Mass will be celebrated at 10AM on Friday, February 6th in Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church, 1140 Johnston Dr, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Burial to follow in Holy Saviour Cemetery, Bethlehem. Arrangements are entrusted to Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Catherine J. (Vrabel) Pudliner, 83, of Bethlehem, passed away March 28, 2024. Born in St. Clair, she was the daughter of the late Eugene and Veronica (Lundergin) Vrabel. Catherine graduated from Central Catholic High School and Bethlehem Business School. She worked for Berg, Schultz and Green CPA, Chemical Leaman Tank Lines, and then retired from the City of Allentown. She was a member of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church. Catherine was a major Philadelphia sports fan, especially of the Philadelphia Phillies. But most of all, she loved her family. She will be deeply missed.

Survivors: children- Karen Carr and husband Sean, Bruce Pudliner and wife Sheri, Keith Pudliner; sister- Veronica Cheek; nephews- Mark & Jim Cheek.

A calling time will be held on Friday, April 5th 9:30-10AM in Downing Funeral Home, Inc. 1002 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30AM in Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church 1861 Catasauqua Rd Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Holy Saviour Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Catherine’s memory to the Lehigh Valley Humane Society 640 Dixon St Allentown, PA 18103 or to Covenant House 31 E. Armat Street Philadelphia PA 19144.

Donna M. Posivak, 68, of Bethlehem, died Wednesday, March 27 at Lehigh Valley Hospice. She was the beloved wife of Francis “Frank” J. Posivak, with whom she shared 44 wonderful years of marriage. Born in Wilkes-Barre, she was the daughter of the late Edward J. and Dorothy A. Saukulak. A graduate of DeSales University and Moravian College, Donna served as Chief Technology Officer at several of the area’s top colleges for over 30 years.

Donna possessed a diverse range of interests and talents, extending beyond her professional achievements. Her love of nature was reflected in many of her hobbies which included photography, painting, hiking, and kayaking. Additionally, she was also a skilled jeweler, crafting pieces that reflected her creativity and attention to detail.

Above all else, Donna’s greatest joy came from her family. She was a loving mother of two children and an adoring grandmother to two grandchildren. Her strength, humor, and adventurous spirit live on through all of them. She will be dearly missed.

Survivors: Donna is survived by her husband, Frank; daughter, Leah, and her husband Ronald; son, Brett, and his longtime partner, Avalon; and two grandchildren. Additional survivors include her sister, Joanne, and brothers, Gregory and Edward.

Services: Private services for the immediate family.

Contributions: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (https://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR?px=8347390&fr_id=154020&pg=personal).

Curtis E. Pass, 80, of Bethlehem, passed away October 25, 2022. He was the loving husband of the late Elizabeth Ann (Hearn) Pass. Born in Williamsport, he was the son of the late Harry and Helen (Braster) Pass. Curtis proudly served in the U.S. Army. After the Army, he received a degree in Electronics from Harrisburg Area Community College. Curtis worked as an electrical engineer for Bell Labs and its various new company names, retiring with Agere after 30 years of service. While at Bell Labs, Curtis was granted two patents for equipment related to the telecommunications industry. He enjoyed reading, golfing, bowling and coached Jr. bowling at the Boulevard Lanes for many years. He will be deeply missed.
Survivors: son- Christian Pass and wife Jennifer and sister- Sheryl Pass. He was predeceased by his infant son- Christopher.
A Calling Time will be held on November 1st 9:30-11:00AM with a Service at 11:00AM in Downing Funeral Home, Inc. 1002 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Cedar Hill Memorial Park, Allentown.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Lab Rescue LRCP P.O. Box 1814, Annandale, VA 22003.

Priscilla Ann Phillips, of New York who currently resides in Allentown was born February 25, 1955 passed away on July 12, 2021. Born in Camden, SC she was the daughter of the late Marie (Tillman) Phillips. She graduated from Washington Irving High School. Priscilla worked for many years as a legal secretary. She loved fashion, reading, dancing and decorating. Priscilla had a passion for plants, animal and children. She will be deeply missed.
Survivors: daughter- Veronica Cannon; son-Jamaal Phillips; grandchildren- Shaquasia, Jania, Terena, Jordan, Nya, London; siblings- Marie, Mary, Carol, Ronnie, Casey and Cass; former husband- Hodari Peters.