Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.

07/30/2025

Stefanie M. Rojas, 40, of Allentown, passed away on Sunday, July 27, 2025. Born in Queens, NY, she was the beloved daughter of Johnny D. Rojas and Clara Rojas.

Stefanie was a graduate of Lincoln Technical School and dedicated her career to the healthcare field. She had a deep love for movies—especially Disney classics—enjoyed listening to music, and had a passion for doing makeup. Her warmth, humor, and vibrant personality will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Survivors include her parents: Clara Rojas and Johnny Rojas; Children: Sashiel Wellington, Moses Moncion, and Zelenia Nivar; and Brother: George Gonzalez.

A viewing will be held on Saturday, August 2nd from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, followed by a service at 1:00 PM, all at Kohut Funeral Home Inc., 950 N. Front St., Allentown, PA 18102.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Stefanie’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

07/10/2025

Robert Molchan, 85, of Bethlehem, passed away in his home on July 7, 2025. He was the son of the late Stephen and Elizabeth Molchan. He was a loving husband to Alice Molchan and the late Ellen (Shreiber) Molchan. Robert was a graduate of Allentown High School in 1958. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corp for four years including two years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Robert spent much of his work career at Mack Trucks in Allentown before retiring in 2003. He remained active throughout his life, enjoying baseball, golf, and bowling. But his true passion was being the lead singer in “The Steel City Band” with his friends, Al Toth, Jim Brekus and Edgie & Jeremy Kittek.

He is survived by his daughters- Jacqueline Wister and Barbara Molchan, stepson- Joseph Scavo and his wife Linda, granddaughters- Afton Howard and her husband Mike and Coryn Figueroa and her husband Matt, great grandchildren- Abraham, Adalynn, Atticus and Augustus, brothers- Stephen, Thomas and James.

Bob would like to thank all the wonderful friends he met who supported him and to all his special friends he leaves: C’est Ma Chanson (This is My Song).

He would be so touched to have those who knew and loved him, join us for a heartfelt Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 27th, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the social hall at St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church, 924 N. Front St., Allentown, PA 18102. Military Honors will take place outside of the church at 1:30PM followed by a formal lunch. Arrangements are entrusted to Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Bob’s memory to The Department of Veteran Affairs.

07/06/2025

Reverend Dominik P. Kalata, Pastor Emeritus of Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown died on 30 June 2025 at Holy Family Senior Living, Bethlehem. He was 84 years of age.
Born in Nowa Biała, Slovakia, Father Kalata is the son of the late Dominik Kalata and the late Anna (Klimczak) Kalata.
Father Kalata attended schools in Nowa Biała and Jabłonka, Poland. He prepared for the priesthood at the Metropolitan Seminary of Warsaw and completed his studies at the Catholic University of Lublin.
He was ordained to the Priesthood on 27 May 1965 by His Eminence, Blessed Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński at the Archcathedral Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, in service to the Archdiocese of Warsaw.
Father Kalata served as Parochial Vicar in several parishes and was Prefect of the Youth Office of the Archdiocese of Warsaw before his service in the Diocese of Allentown. He served as Parochial Vicar at Saint John the Baptist, Allentown. Father Kalata’s first Pastoral assignment was Pastor, Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, Frackville, and Saint Ann Parish, Frackville, Most Blessed Trinity Parish, Tremont, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown and Administrator of Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Allentown.
Father Kalata was named Pastor Emeritus, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown, on 20 June 2017.
He had a deep love for family and enjoyed spending time with them whenever possible. Father Kalata also enjoyed skiing, reading, and traveling. He visited many places around the world including Africa where he built a school for children in honor of his parents. He will be deeply missed.
Father Kalata is survived by brothers John Kalata and his wife Stasia, Frank Kalata and his wife Maria, and his sister Anna Mus; nieces Aurelia Hamlett, Marcela Kalata, and Maria Jaworski; nephews Darius Kalata, Mark Kalata, Jaroslav Mus, Mark Mus, and Daniel Miskowicz; many great and great-grand nieces and nephews. He is also survived by his cousin, Revered Józef Bednarczyk of Niedzice, Poland as well as several other cousins who reside in the United States, Canada, and throughout Europe.
In addition to his parents, Father Kalata was predeceased by his sister Sophia Miskowicz, brother-in-law John Miskowicz, brother-in-law Stephan Mus, and cousin, the Most Reverend Dominik Kalata, S.J., Titular Bishop of Semta.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Father Kalata will be celebrated at Saint John the Baptist Parish, 924 North Front Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania on Saturday, 12 July 2025 at 11:00a.m. by Reverend Monsignor Daniel J. Yenushosky, Vicar General of the Diocese of Allentown and Pastor, Holy Trinity Parish, Whitehall. Principal Concelebrants include Reverend Keith A. Mathur, Chancellor of the Diocese of Allentown; Reverend Monsignor Donald Cieniewicz, Vicar Forane of the Lehigh Deanery and Pastor, Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena Parish, Allentown; Reverend Speratus Kamanzi, A.J., Pastor, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown; Reverend Monsignor Robert F. Kozel, Pastor Emeritus, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown.
The Vigil for the Deceased will be held at Saint John the Baptist Parish, Allentown on Friday, 11 July 2025, at 7:00p.m. The Reverend Monsignor Donald Cieniewicz, V.F. will preside, and Reverend Adam C. Sedar will serve as the Homilist.
Calling hours will be held at the Church on Friday, 11 July 2025 from 5:00p.m. – 7:00p.m. And on Saturday, 12 July 2025 from 9:00AM-11:00AM.
Will take place in Saint John the Baptist Parish Cemetery, Allentown, Pennsylvania, immediately following the funeral.
Arrangements are entrusted to Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Father Kalata’s memory to Apostles of Jesus care of Kohut Funeral Home, Inc.

06/20/2025

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06/13/2025

Mary Beller, 84, of Bethlehem, passed away June 11, 2025. She was the loving wife of the late Ronald E. Beller. Born in Lansford, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Veronica (Duncavage) Pekarik. Mary was a member of St. John the Baptist Slovak Catholic Church in Allentown. She was the Director of the Northampton Area Public Library for many years. Mary enjoyed reading, sewing, latch hooking, baking and traveling. But most of all she treasured her time with her family, especially spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She will be deeply missed.
Survivors: daughters- Diane DeVivo and her husband Joe, Catherine Beller Meinhart and her late husband Dennis, Rita Beller; grandchildren- Andrew DeVivo, Amy Callaghan and her husband Mike, Emily Fortenberry and her husband Monty, Zachary Meinhart and his wife Sarah; great grandchildren- Nolan Callaghan, Lucas and Benjamin Meinhart; sister- JoAnne Pekarik and friend- Marge Santore. She was predeceased by her sister- Margaret Pekarik.
A Calling Time will be held on Monday, June 30th 9:30-10:30AM 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. Inurnment to follow in the parish cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Mary’s memory to Northampton Area Public Library care of the funeral home.

05/29/2025

Howard A. Clinese Jr., 84, of Pen Argyl, passed away on May 26, 2025. He was the loving husband to Peggy L. (Walker) Clinese, celebrating their 50th Anniversary March 1, 2025. Born in Allentown, he was the son of the late Howard and Anna (Billowitch) Clinese. He was a graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School, class of ’59, and served in the U.S. Navy. Howard was a member of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church in Pen Argyl. For many years, he was employed by Johnson Wax as a restaurant sales rep.
He was an avid bowler and cherished the camaraderie of his social clubs, as a dedicated member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the Jednota Club, and Cross Keys Social Club. However, his true passion was baseball. He was a constant and enthusiastic presence at all of his sons' games throughout their careers, a testament to his unwavering support and love. Many would also fondly remember seeing him sitting on his front porch, listening intently to New York Yankees games. His love for sports extended to college football, where he was a devoted fan of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and he also found great pleasure in fishing.
He will be remembered as a strong, loving, and passionate man who had a remarkable ability to connect with others, striking up conversations with anyone he met. He also had great compassion for animals, having loved numerous pets throughout his lifetime and caring for the backyard wildlife.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy L. Clinese; his sons, Howie, Philip and Patrick, and their wives/partners. He was a proud grandfather to Delaney, Cooper, Brady, Harper, Kayla and Joey. He is also survived by his sister Elaine and was preceded in death by sister Dolores.
A viewing will be held on Monday, June 2, 10:30-11:30AM with a Service at 11:30AM in Kohut Funeral Home, Inc., 950 N. Front St., Allentown, PA 18102. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Whitehall.
Contributions: In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Howard’s memory to Animals in Distress, Coopersburg, PA.

04/03/2025

Barbara Ann (Hessinger) Fernandes, 85, of Allentown, passed away April 1, 2025. She was the loving wife of the late Joseph J. Fernandes Sr. Born in Allentown, she was the daughter of the late Patrick Richard and Rita T. (Obereker) Hessinger. Barbara enjoyed antiquing and traveling. She was a wonderful mother and Oma to all. She loved to paint and she loved animals. She will be deeply missed.

Survivors: children- Joseph J. Fernandes Jr. and wife Debra, Christian Fernandes and wife Stephanie, Maria Myers and husband John; grandchildren- Joseph Fernandes III, Deolinda Myers, John Myers Jr., Madolyn Fernandes, Christian Fernandes Jr.; great grandchildren- Auriella Jade Holman and Jameson Hubich; niece- Lisa-Jon Lepeta; nephews- Joseph Lepeta II, Chad Cope and Luke Hessinger; brother- Richard Hessinger and wife Susan; beloved Parrot- Bojangles. She was predeceased by her granddaughter- Jaimie-Jo Fernandes and sister- Mary Elizabeth Hessinger Lepeta.
A Calling Time will be held on Saturday, April 5th 10-11AM with a Service at 11AM all at Kohut Funeral Home, Inc 950 N. Front St. Allentown, PA 18102. Burial to follow in Resurrection Cemetery, Allentown.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Barbara’s memory to The Sanctuary at Haafsville PO Box 921 Fogelsville, PA 18051.

03/31/2025

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.

03/24/2025

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.

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03/24/2025

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.

03/12/2025

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.

02/19/2025

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.