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 nephew- Steven, Melissa, Michelle and Glenn, 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.

Richard J. Huber, Sr., 97, of Bethlehem, passed away June 24, 2026. He was the loving husband of the late Elsie H. (Hathazi) Huber. Born in Cementon, he was the son of the late Joseph J. and Anna (Emerich) Huber. Richard graduated from Central Catholic High School and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He worked for Mack Trucks, retiring after 26 years. Richard was a member of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church, and a member of the funeral choir. He was also a member of the Catholic War Veterans, the Pine Flats Assoc., the Mack Truck Local #617, shop stewart, and the Mack Ski Club. Richard was proud that he had attended the Men of Malvern Retreat for 50 years. He was also dedicated to being a Democratic Committee Man, attending the gym at least 3 days a week and skiing until he was 83 years old. Richard enjoyed hunting at his cabin, fishing, biking and participating/ teaching ballroom dancing. He will be deeply missed.
Survivors: children- JoAnn Zwickl wife of Kenneth, Elizabeth Snyder wife of Douglas and Marci Huber; grandchildren- Jason, Joseph & Kevin Zwickl, Nicole Huber, Anna Jennings, Elizabeth Huber, Alicia Hegemann and Brian Huber; great grandchildren- Noah & Nessa Zwickl, Esmae Huber, Kasper Zwickl and Kara Huber; sister- Maryanne Pohl. Richard was predeceased by his sons- Matthew, Jonathan & Richard Huber Jr., stepson- Thomas Roc, siblings- Ernest Huber, Dorothy Strohm, Sister M. Josanne, MSC., Joseph Huber.
A viewing will be held on Thursday, July 2nd 10-11AM with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 11AM all in Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church 1861 Catasauqua Rd Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Assumption of the BVM Cemetery, Northampton.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society care of Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Lorraine A. Nehilla, 80, of Bethlehem, passed away at home on May 28, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She was the loving wife of the late Stanislaus Nehilla. Born in Bethlehem and raised as a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church on the Southside, she was the daughter of the late Grace (Sever) and Joseph Zamadics. Lorraine graduated from Bethlehem Catholic High School in 1963 then began her working career at Union Bank, where she met her husband. After marrying Stanislaus in 1966, Lorraine was a happy stay-at-home wife and mother before re-entering the work force with Lehigh Valley Bank in 1984. She retired from the former Keystone Savings and Loan in the mid-2010s with nearly 30 years of service. An avid bingo player, reader (especially of murder mysteries), and tv watcher, Lorraine eventually moved to the Harrisburg area in 2021 to live with her son Stephen, daughter-in-law Melanie, and nine of her ten grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.

Lorraine is survived by her son- Stephen Nehilla husband of Melanie; daughter- Karen Nehilla wife of John Griffiths; grandchildren- Francis, RachelAnn, Nicholas, Andrew, Joseph, Michael, Daniel, Christopher, Theresa Nehilla and Madeline Griffiths; brother- Thomas Zamadics husband of Anne. Numerous nieces, nephews, and Godchildren. She was predeceased by her son- John Nehilla.

A Calling Time will be held Friday, June 19th 11:00AM-12:00PM with a Mass of Christian Burial to follow at 12PM, all at Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 730 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Holy Saviour Cemetery, Bethlehem.

Contributions can be made in Lorraine’s memory to Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church or to Society of St. Joseph of Bethlehem care of Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Joan Anne (Cassidy) Stofanak, 89, of Bethlehem, passed away May 4, 2026. She was the loving wife of the late Joseph Stofanak. Born in Bethlehem, she was the daughter of the late Thomas and Mildred (Reed) Cassidy. Joan graduated from Central Catholic High School and was a member of Notre Dame of Bethlehem Catholic Church. She enjoyed going to the beach and to the casino. She will be deeply missed.



Survivors: sisters- Ellen Charlton wife of the late Michael, Mary Rummel and husband Reed; nieces & nephews- Ken Rummel, Kim Ferroni and Shawn Cassidy; great nieces & nephews- Ethan, Max, Claudia and Gabrielle Ferroni, Alyssa and Alex Rummel.



Services were held Privately for the family.



In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Notre Dame of Bethlehem Church.

William H. Zoshak, 89, of Fogelsville, passed away April 30, 2026.

Bill was the loving husband of Lorraine (Matuczinski) Gyauch Zoshak for 26 years. Born in Yonkers, NY, he was the son of William N. and Wanda Zoshak.

As a young man, Bill received his master’s degree in education and taught in a seminary. Later, he served as a School Superintendent in New York City for many years. Notably, on the day before his 40th birthday, Bill joined the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain. He then served military personnel and their families for 22 years, eventually reaching the rank of Colonel. He was assigned to places such as Virginia, Alaska, New York, Hawaii, England, and Japan before an honorable discharge at retirement.

Bill savored traveling (especially cruises), going to the theatre, watching tennis, and viewing fine art. Throughout his life, he cherished spending time on the water, especially on his pontoon boat.

Anyone who knew Bill recognized his robust personality and sharp mind. He belonged to a book club at Moravian College and regularly kept abreast of politics. Bill was dedicated to working out over the years and would even show off his ability to do as many pushups as the years of his life. He displayed joie de vivre.

Throughout his life, Bill cared deeply for his parents, sister, and nieces as well as other family. He was known to lovingly tend to his bonsai plants as well as his home and prized lawn. He enjoyed a good, countryside motorcycle ride with Lorraine in the sidecar, a leisurely walk through nature, and smoking a fine cigar with a son-in-law. Bill was also very proud of his twenty years of volunteer service at Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Without fail, Bill could be counted upon to tell captivating stories about his life adventures to everyone. He radiated a sense that life had plenty to teach and that humor enlivened life.

Bill will be deeply missed.

Survivors: wife- Lorraine Gyauch Zoshak; step-daughters- Denise Gyauch (David Lewis), Annette Maron (Tim), Thérèse Gyauch (Joseph Quirk), Michelle Dzema (Edward); grandchildren- Dylan & Dara Gyauch-Lewis, Chloe & Lallie Maron, Noah Gyauch-Quirk, Cooper & Bailey Dzema; nieces- Therese McMcgrath (late Dennis), Jacqueline Kinney-Firraro (Anna Marie), and Andrea Bentley (Ken). He was predeceased by his sister- Wanda.

A calling time will be he held on Monday, May 11th 11AM-12PM with a Memorial Service to follow at 12PM, all collectively held at Blessed Trinity Lutheran Church at Rosemont 1705 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial will take place privately at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Downing Funeral Home, Inc.

Contributions can be made in Bill’s memory to The DeSales Art Angels at DeSales University.
https://engage.desales.edu/portal/online-giving?form_prepop-link=Yes&form_sys:gift:fund_key=CRTA&form_prepop-fund-name=DeSales%20Arts%20Angels%20Endowment%20Fund

Robert M. Check, 80, of Bethlehem, passed away peacefully on March 3, 2026, surrounded by family and friends. He was the loving husband of the late Celeste M. (Horwath) Check. Born in Allentown, he was the son of the late Stephen William and Margaret (Velopolcak) Check. Bob was a proud U.S. Marine, serving in the Corps during the Vietnam War. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and computer science from Moravian University. Throughout his career, Bob worked for Bethlehem Steel at the Homer Research Center, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, and Agere. Bob was an avid hunter and fisherman. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycle and feeding the wild songbirds in his backyard. Bob was a member of various local social clubs. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Survivors: daughter- Amanda Check of Danielsville, PA and her partner Chris Romano; son- Randall Check of Bethlehem, PA and his spouse Ariel Quinn and their daughter Amelia Check; sister- Susan Check and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother- Stephen Check.
A Calling Time will be held on Thursday, March 12 10-11AM with a Memorial Service at 11AM all in Downing Funeral Home, Inc. 1002 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018.

Brian W. Gaugler, 83, of Bethlehem, passed away February 28, 2026. He was the loving husband to Karen A. (Messick) Gaugler. Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Marie (McCafferty) and Raymond Gaugler Sr. Brian graduated from Liberty High School and retired from Bethlehem Steel after 32 years of service. Brian was known for his quick wit, upbeat personality, and always lending a hand to help others. He loved riding his Harley Davidson through the Pocono Mountains and visiting his three daughters and grandchildren in Florida. He was an avid fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and NASCAR. Brian enjoyed golfing, fishing and watching Clint Eastwood movies. He was also a lifetime member of various local social clubs and was committed to supporting their missions. He will be deeply missed.

Survivors: wife- Karen Gaugler; daughters- Robin Read and her children- Nicolas & Matthew Read, Tammy Read wife of Jeremy and their children- Bryan and Megan Read, Wendy Gaugler wife of Ray Lubomski; step-son- Charlie Kline Jr. He was predeceased by his brother- Raymond Gaugler Jr.

A viewing will be held on Wednesday, March 11th 10-11 with a Service at 11:15 in Downing Funeral Home, Inc. 1002 W. Broad St. Bethlehem, PA 18018. Burial to follow in Cedar Hill Memorial Park.

Contributions can be made in Brian’s memory to the American Cancer Society 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.