Obituaries

Dorothy I. Kessler, 99, of Bethlehem Twp. died Monday, February 13, 2012 in St. Luke’s Hospital Anderson Campus.

Born: October 15, 1912 in Easton she was a daughter of the late William and Anna Long Stoneback.
 
Personal: A 1931 graduate of Easton High School she had been the captain of the girls’ basketball team and employed by Shapiro and Sons for 17 years.

Memberships: She was a member of St. John’s United Church of Christ, Farmersville; AARP; Senior Circle and Senior Citizen’s at St. Anthony’s.

Survivors: She was predeceased by her husband Lester E. Kessler in 1968.

Services: will be 12 p.m. (Noon) Thursday (Feb. 16) in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Interment will be in Easton Heights Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions: may be made to St. John’s UCC, 8065 William Penn Hwy., Easton, PA 18045.

Grace V. Steckel, 88, of Bethlehem, formerly of Easton, died Tuesday, February 7, 2012 in her home.

Born: April 3, 1923 in Pohatcong Township, she was a daughter of the late William and Bertha (Housel) Brown.

Personal: Her first husband, Joseph Shiller and her second husband, Paul Steckel died earlier.  She worked in the housekeeping department at Easton Hospital until retiring in 1988. She was a member of Concordia Maennerchor and Am Vets, Post 17, Easton and was often seen taking strolls in Downtown Easton.

Survivors: Two sons, Joseph Shiller and his wife, Irene with whom she resided and Robert Brown of Easton; a daughter, Laura Scott of Bethlehem Township and 9 grandchildren. A son, Albert Shiller and a daughter, Helen Shiller died earlier.

Services: 10:30 am Friday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Call from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm Thursday in the funeral home.

Lillian Miller, 97, formerly of Easton died Thursday, February 2, 2012 in Ocala, FL.

Born: September 8, 1914 in New York City, she was a daughter of the late Luigi and Frances Wartels Testa. Her husband Moses Miller died in 1992.

Memberships: She was a member of the Temple Covenant of Peace, Easton.

Survivors: Her daughter: Linda Tilton and her husband Jon of Ocala, FL; and 2 grandsons: Daniel and his wife Lisa of Seattle, WA; Isaac and his fiancée Sarah of New York City, NY; niece: Diane Hochhauser Egenberg  Apfelbaum and her husband Alan of Bayonne, NJ and great nephew and niece: Jason Egenberg and his wife Diana and Allyson Steinberg and her husband Ayal.

Services: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 1 p.m. in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Interment will be in Easton Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions: May be made to any Animal Rescue organization or to the Hospice of Marion County, P.O. Box 4860, Ocala, FL 34478.

Joseph T. Szuchon, Sr. 84, formerly of King of Prussia, PA died February 1, 2012 in the VNA Hospice of St. Luke’s, Bethlehem, PA.

Born: He was born April 30, 1927 in Mont Clare, PA.

Personal: He was a heavy equipment operating engineer for most of his life before retiring and was a WWII Navy veteran. An avid baseball player with numerous trophies, he had been a part of the Cincinnati Reds baseball camp until spraining his wrist. He then played for the Norristown Area All-Stars for many years and enjoyed ballroom dancing.

Memberships: He was a member of Union Local 542.

Survivors: 4 children: Donna Liotta and her husband Joseph of Blue Bell, PA; Marianne Wheeler and her husband John of Philadelphia; Sharon Piarulli and her husband John of Burlington, NJ; Joseph Szuchon, Jr. of Dallas, PA; 8 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. His wife, the former Stella Posobiec died earlier.

Services: Will be private; the Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements.

Memorial Contributions: May be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 399 Market St., Ste. 102, Philadelphia, PA 19106.

Carol A. Heavener, 67, of Palmer Township, died Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at her son’s home in Canton, Ohio.

Born: December 30, 1944 in Easton, she was a daughter of the late Walter and Bertha (Hall) Johnson.

Personal: Her husband, Daryl T. “Jim” Heavener died last year.

Survivors:  A son, James T. Heavener and his wife, Mary of Canton, OH; a daughter, Jeanette M. Dilts of Easton; two brothers, Steve Johnson and Richard Johnson; 8 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. A daughter, Denamarie Heavener and a brother Jimmy Johnson died earlier.

Services: 3:00 pm Friday, Feb. 3 in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Call from 2:00 pm until service time Friday in the funeral home

Dr. Alan Dutkin, 76,  passed away Monday, January 30, 2012 at Moravian Village, Bethlehem.

Born: He was born in Philadelphia, PA to Samuel and Bessie Dutkin on October 30, 1935. He and his wife Mary Ann had been married  for 49 years.

Personal: He attended Overbrook HS, Temple University and Temple Dental School He was commissioned as a Captain in the US Air Force, stationed at Orlando Air Force Base in Orlando, FL. He entered Boston University and completed his didactic in the oral surgery program. The completion of his training was at Philadelphia General Hospital, where he did his internship and became chief resident in Oral Surgery. He started his own practice in Bethlehem, PA in 1968. In 1975, he co-founded Easton Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, with Dr. Steven Gould. He continued to work at this practice for 25 years until his retirement in 2000. His abilities took him to Ecuador with Por Cristo to treat children with facial deformities.

Memberships: He served as President of Easton Dental Society, offered his services to the dental clinic of Easton Hospital, and served on the staffs of Easton and Warren Hospitals. He was a member the American Dental Association, Fellow of the American Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Fellow of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, and Fellow of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Dental Anesthesia.

Survivors:  His wife: Mary Ann; three children, Dennise Fleck and her husband Peter of Fanwood, NJ; Todd Dutkin and his wife Virginia of Niwot, CO; and Roger Dutkin and his wife Nhien of Lawrenceville, GA; and 9 grandchildren: Kevin, Michael, Matthew and Jennifer Fleck; Hailey, Benjamin and Samuel Dutkin; Alana and Delaney Dutkin.

Services:  A Celebration of his Life will be held Saturday, March 24 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM at Hotel Bethlehem, Bethlehem, PA with shared remembrances at Noon and a luncheon to follow. Interment was private in Easton Cemetery. Arrangements:  Ashton Funeral Home, Easton, PA.

Memorial Contributions: May be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, ATTN: Tribute Gifts, Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780,, NY, NY 10008-0780.