Obituaries

John M. Cochran, 87 of Bethlehem Twp., PA died Tuesday, November 8, 2016 at Country Meadows, Forks Twp., PA.  Born September 9, 1929 in Toledo, Ohio he was a son of the late Ralf and Martha (Miller) Cochran. He and his wife Carol (Shade) Cochran have been married for 65 years.

John was raised in Princeton, NJ graduating from Rutgers Prep School in 1948 and Rutgers University, School of Agriculture in 1952. An independent insurance agent, he owned the Clyde L. Shade Agency in Easton for 50 years before selling to Kressler, Wolff and Miller, where he continued to work for several years. He was a member of the Pomfret Club, Easton, the Wilson Lions Club, where he helped found Meuser Pool  in Wilson Borough and he served on the Board of the YMCA of Easton, Phillipsburg and Vicinity for 18 years. He was a member of Rajah Temple, a 50 year member of Easton Lodge, #152 F & AM, a member of Lehigh Valley Police Revolver League and a life member of the Quinlandtown Hunting Club and Easton Fish and Game.

He is survived by his wife Carol; 3 children: Peter J. Cochran and his wife Peggy, Catherine Walters and her husband Scott all of Easton, PA, Thomas S. Cochran of Antrim, NH; a sister Catherine Foster in Knoxville, TN; and 6 grandchildren.

A Memorial reception will be held noon to 2 PM Saturday, (Nov. 12) at Marblehead Chowder House, 4101 Wm. Penn Hwy., Easton, PA. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Seeing Eye, Inc., 10 Washington Valley Road, Morristown, NJ 07960 or St. Luke’s Hospice, 801 Ostrum St., Bethlehem, PA 18015.

Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Geraldine F. Reese, 85 of Bethlehem Twp., PA died Friday, November 4, 2016 at home. Born September 16, 1931 in Dublin, PA she was a daughter of the late Norman and Marion (Herring) Fox. Her husband Robert A. Reese died in 2009. A graduate of Sell-Perk High School, she had been employed by the Christmas Barn in Bethlehem Twp. for many years and Cynthia Scott Design in Doylestown. She was a faithful and active member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Easton where she served on Council, the Rachel Circle, taught Sunday School, sang in the choir and helped with the Bazaar. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, ProJeCt of Easton and a former member of the Bach Choir of Bethlehem. Geraldine also loved to crochet and play the piano and saxophone.

She is survived by her children: Caryn Kadel of Doylestown, PA, Rob Reese and his wife Bonny of Palmer Twp., PA, Geoff Reese and his wife Robin of Bethlehem Twp., PA, Cindy Watkins and her husband Kevin of Laurys Station, PA; brother: F. Barry Fox of East Greenville, PA; sister: Shirley Gabel of Telford, PA; 10 grandchildren: Jennifer and Allison Kadel, Kristen Hall and her husband David, Stephen Reese and his wife Christine, Lauren Peters and her husband Jeff, Christopher, Sean and Caralyn Reese, Jeremy and Brian Watkins; and 2 great-grandchildren: Adrienne Hall and Jack Reese.

A Memorial Service will be held 3 PM Friday (Nov. 11) in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 330 Ferry Street, Easton with a calling period from 2 to 3 PM in the church. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Lutheran Church Memorial  Fund, 330 Ferry St., Easton, PA 18042 or Meals on Wheels, 4240 Fritch Drive, Bethlehem PA 18020 or the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, 440 Heckewelder Place, Bethlehem, PA 18018.

Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Evelyn L. Schubert, 73, formerly of Milford, NJ passed away peacefully surrounded by her family, Monday, October 31, 2016 at Westminster Village in Allentown. Born November 30, 1942 in Hampton, NJ she was a daughter of the late George and Loretta (Scheer) Boehm.  She was employed by Fulton Financial in Milford, NJ for many years and had been a member of the Milford Presbyterian Church where she served as a deacon, elder and church secretary. Evelyn was a Past-President of the Milford School PTA and a Girl Scout Leader. She also founded the softball program at Riegel Ridge in Holland Twp., NJ and the cheerleading program in Milford.

She is survived by her two daughters: Laurie Batcha of Bethlehem Twp., PA and son-in-law: Jerry, Diane Kitchen and her husband: Robert, Jr. of Saylorsburg, PA; her five beloved grandchildren: Abbey Fisher and her husband Tom, Amelia and Seth Batcha, Danielle and Bobby Kitchen; and her pride and joy, great-granddaughter: Aubrey.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 5:30 PM Friday (Nov. 4) in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton with a service at 5:30 PM. Interment will be private in Milford Union Cemetery, Milford, NJ.

Memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Village, 803 North Wahneta Street, Allentown, PA  18109 or St. Luke’s Hospice, 801 Ostrum St., Bethlehem, PA 18015.  Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Doreen Lynch Free, 90, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend to all, left us on October 30, 2016, for an eternity of Happy Hour in Heaven. Born on July 7, 1926, she refused to give in to aging, continuing to tend her flower garden, feed her outdoor birds, and engage in political or social banter with anyone who would listen. Known best as “Nan”, her front door was always open to friends, relatives, and strangers who wandered in.  She loved having people around her, as long as you didn’t expect her to extinguish her cigarettes. We teased her that her secret to longevity was plenty of vodka and smokes – it worked for her.

Doreen was fiercely independent and the acknowledged matriarch of the Free/Lynch clan. Next to her treasured Lynch Irish coat of arms were her signs “When the Queen is happy there is peace in the Kingdom” and “Peace! Love! Happy Hour!” She was born on Mauch Chunk Street in Easton, and lived downtown until she married at the age of 19. She loved Easton and reminisced about her childhood jumping from apartment roof to roof and playing in the alleys downtown. As a teen at Wolf Jr. High School, she was involved in cheerleading with her brother Bob, softball, school plays, girls chorus and May Day Queen’s Court. Chosen May Day Queen in 1940 for the following year, the celebration and her coronation were cancelled in 1941 due to the war.

Following graduation, Doreen worked at Madesco Tackle Block, where she met her husband, William Free and they married in 1946. They lived with her parents on Washington Street until Michael and Carol were born, then bought the home on Cattell Street where Doreen remained the rest of her life.  When her children were small, she worked night shift at Binney and Smith, running a crayon wrapper machine, bringing home bags of rejected crayons for her kids. Having spent many teen years in Saylorsburg at her grandparent’s general store/barroom, she spent Saturday nights dancing at the Pavilion at Saylors Lake and daytimes waiting on bar room customers, as did the grandchildren in later years.  Devoted to her family, she cared for both her mother and husband during their terminal illnesses in 1970, while maintaining a full time job at Lafayette College. In 1973 she became secretary to the City Clerk in Easton’s City Hall, until retirement at the age of 75. She also waitressed at the Elks Club on Packer Street for Thursday night dinners and wedding receptions, along with her sister Connie Snyder and her partner, Don Jarrell. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels, was a member of the Jr. Order, Easton Historical Society and St. Bernards Catholic Church. She donated to many charities, including St. Judes; Good Shepherd, Indian Missions, and Smithsonian. She never missed a high school class reunion for Easton High School Class of 1944, which held its final reunion in September 2016.

She is survived by son: Michael Free and wife, Anna; daughter: Carol Free; brother: James Robert Lynch and partner Marge Arnold; sister: Mary Kathryn Lynch and wife Ann Frechette; 5 grandchildren; Kathryn and Constance Free; Amanda and Heather Free,  Colette Wertz; and 2 great grandchildren, Jocelyn and Cecelia Hendrickson. She was predeceased by her husband of 24 years,: William Free; partner: Donald Jarrell; companion: Richard Gallagher; sisters: Constance Snyder,  Margaret Lynch, and son-in –law: Ronald Apgar.

Calling hours are 9:30-11:30 AM Saturday (Nov. 5) in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. A graveside service will be held at Noon in Greenwood Cemetery, W. High St., Nazareth.

Contributions may be made to Chinese Children Adoption International or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Dolores N. Tukeva, 97, formerly of Palmer Twp., PA died Saturday, October 29, 2016 at Moravian Hall Square, Nazareth, PA. Born April 19, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY she was a daughter of the late F. Wesley and Evelyn (Small) Northridge. Dolores grew up in New York and Connecticut, although she lived for a time in Punta San Juan, Cuba.  Dolores’ adolescence was spent in New York City, where she attended St. Patrick’s Cathedral High School, and then graduated from St. Irmgardis Lyceum in Cologne, Germany, where she became fluent in German.

In 1939, Dolores married Ed Tukeva, whom she had met while working as a Comptometer (the forerunner to the adding machine and calculator) operator at the American News Company in NYC.Dolores and Ed moved to Easton in 1960, where they raised their five children. Dolores was the owner of the Nazareth News Agency for 17 years before retiring in 1999. She was also the President of Easton News, from 1988 to the present.

Dolores is remembered as the devoted matriarch of an extended family of siblings, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and she took great joy in spending time with them.  Those who knew her as a friend found a warm, smart, and beautiful spirit who always put others first. Dolores also loved animals, and over the years raised many dogs, cats, and other creatures that her children brought home. Through her travels, she developed a love of language and reading, which was evidenced through her talents at Scrabble and crossword puzzles.

Dolores was a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church; the URW Club, the Red Hat Society and she volunteered at the Children’s Home of Easton, and Easton Hospital.  She was a proud and active resident of the Moravian Hall Square Community.

She is survived by her children: Karen  Giles of Dunwoody, GA, Vicki Tukeva of San Pablo, CA, Maria  Tukeva of Washington, DC, Edward Tukeva, Jr. and his wife Rosemary of Bethlehem Twp., PA, Jan Tukeva and her partner Gary Emrick of Bushnell, FL; 6 grandchildren: Jennifer  Challenger, Laura  and Jeffrey  Abbott, Elisa, Simone and Natasha Tukeva; 6 great-grandchildren: Jake  and Ava Challenger, Spencer and Ryan  Katzman, Emerson  and Remi Tukeva; a sister: Patricia Fairhurst; sister-in-law: Helen  Ritter; nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her husband Edward Tukeva, her daughter: Judith Tukeva and sister: Jeanne Robson.

Mass will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, November 12, 2016 at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, Palmer Twp. with a calling period from 10 to 10:30 AM in the church. Interment Northampton Memorial Shrine. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling arrangements.

Memorial contributions may be made to Moravian Hall Square Good Samaritan Fund, 175 W. North St., Nazareth, PA 18064 or St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, 4049 Hartley St., Easton, PA 18045 or a Charity of Choice. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Harold J. Savercool, Jr., 64, of Belvidere, NJ, formerly of Easton, died Monday, October 24, 2016 in his home surrounded by his family.

Born July 22, 1952 in Easton, he was a son of the late Harold and Lois (Beers) Savercool, Sr.

He worked for Nazareth Metal, served in the Marines during the Vietnam War and was a member of First Baptist Church of Belvidere.

Surviving are his wife, Marie (Bobo) Savercool; sons, Harold “Jay” Savercool, III and Thomas Savercool; step-children, Amber, Anthony, Marcus and Brian; brothers, Barry, Bruce and Terry Savercool; and 9 grandchildren.  His brother, George Savercool died earlier.

A memorial service will be held at Noon on Monday, October 31, 2016 in First Baptist Church, 155 Pequest Rd., Belvidere.  The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements.  Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.