Obituaries

Helen T. Austen, 98, formerly of Palmer Twp, died Wednesday, January 11, 2012 in Moravian Hall Square, Nazareth.

Born: May 1, 1913 in Easton she was a daughter of the late John G. and Elizabeth Bachman Taylor.  She and her husband, John R. Austen have been married for 72 years.

Personal: A graduate of Wilson High School and Penn State University, she had been an English teacher at Wilson High School and a substitute teacher for the Easton Area School District.  She was also a very active volunteer at the  Easton Hospital Gift Shop.

Memberships: She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wilson; the Women’s Board of Easton Hospital; the Easton Hospital Board of Trustees and the Northampton Country Club.

Survivors:  Her husband, John R.; sons: John T. and his wife Susan of Edgewater, FL and Branford, CT; Stephen R. and his wife Maureen of Charlotte, NC and Bluffton, SC; a sister: Mary Jane Leith of West Chester, PA; 5 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Services: 10:30 a.m. Monday (1/16) in the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2115 Washington Blvd., Wilson; with a  calling period from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Interment will be in Northampton Memorial Shrine.

Memorial Contributions: May be made to the VNA Hospice of St. Luke’s, 1510 Valley Center Prky., Bethlehem, PA 18017 or Two Rivers Health and Wellness Foundation, 1101 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18042.

Blaine R. Hildenbrand, 78, of Palmer Township, died Friday, January 6, 2012 in VNA Hospice House.

Born: February 26, 1933 in Stockertown, he was a son of the late Janson H. and Alice M. (Bauman) Hildenbrand.

Personal: He and his wife, the former Isabella L. Nolf were married 58 years. He was a graduate of Nazareth High School where he played on the 1950 undefeated football team. He received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Lafayette College in 1955 where he also played football. He was an engineer and comptroller for Pallet Express, Inc., Palmer Township for 25 years. Prior to that he worked for Pfizer, Inc. and he was a self-employed building contractor. He was also an adjunct professor at Northampton Community College and he was published in Chemical Engineering Magazine.

Memberships: Blaine was a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Church, Palmer Township. He was a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America and enjoyed restoring vehicles. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Jazz Society and the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Forks of the Delaware Chapter. He was a Civil War buff, an advisor for Junior Achievement and a Little League Coach.

Survivors: Wife, Isabella; two sons, Brent Hildenbrand and his wife, Donna of Tatamy and William Hildenbrand and his wife, Karen of Easton; a daughter, Brenda Rundle and her husband, Harold of Roseto; eight grandsons and three great grandchildren.

Services: A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am Friday in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 3219 Santee Rd., Bethlehem.  Interment in Forks Cemetery. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements.
Memorials: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38148 or stjude.org.

Doris M. DeNardo, 87, of Easton died Tuesday, January 3, 2012 in her home.

Born: December 25, 1924 in Easton she was a daughter of the late George Saeger and Mabel Adams Saeger Rixen Miller and John Rixen. Her husband, Nicholas F. DeNardo died in 1998.

Personal: A 1942 graduate of Easton High School, she worked with her husband at the Lester Pfeffer Post, American Legion for several years. She was an avid bowler and active in the Bar-Don and Warren Lanes Leagues and was of the Catholic faith.

Memberships: She was a life member of the Wilson Borough Republican Club, an officer in the Easton Women’s Bowling Association and had been inducted into the Easton Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame.

Survivors: 3 daughters: Dawn Blackton and her husband Matthew, Sr.;  Sally Apgar all of Easton; Doreen Marr and her fiancé Brian O’Malley of Bushkill, PA; grandchildren: Heather Regina, Nicholas Russo, Kristofer Cooper, Jason Apgar and fiancé Joell Kissel; Staff Sgt. MacKenzie Marr, US Army; Matthew Blackton, Jr.;  great-grandchildren: Zachary Regina and fiancé Michelle Wonderly; Alyannah and Jacob Beil; Dominick and Anthony Apgar; and great-great-granddaughter: Kasidi Regina and faithful companions: Molly and Rocky.

Services: 10 a.m. Monday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 14th and Northampton Sts., Easton with visitation from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home. Interment will be in Easton Cemetery.

Memorial Contributions: may be made to  charity of choice or Common Sense for Animals, PO Box 589, Broadway, NJ 08808 or Center for Animal Health and Welfare, 1165 Island Park Rd., Easton, PA 18042.

Wilma A. Fatzinger, 76, of Stockertown died Monday, January 2, 2012 in Kindred Hospital Easton.

Born: October 16, 1935 in Easton, she was a daughter of the late Wilbur J. “Bill” Moser and Hannah C. Moser Hartman.

Personal: She and her husband, John “Jack” Fatzinger were married 56 years.  She was a graduate of Wilson High School and Moravian College where she was a drum majorette.  She worked for the Easton Area School District as an elementary school teacher at Palmer and Forks Elementary Schools for 31 years.  After retiring she was a consultant for Longaberger Baskets.

Survivors: Husband, Jack; a son, Bill Fatzinger of Nashville, TN; a daughter, Kim Ravese and her husband, Bob of Palmer Township; two sisters, June Coscia and Nancy Mendenhall and six grandchildren, Alissa, Joe, Mike and Nick Ravese and Billy and Lauren Fatzinger.

Services: 10:30 am Friday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Call from 7 – 8:30 pm Thursday in the funeral home.

Marjorie M. West, 83, of Harmony Twp., NJ died Monday, January 2, 2012 in Warren Hospital.

Born: July 5, 1928 in Wilson Borough she was the daughter of the late Stanley and Hannah Doll Miller. She and her husband J. Brooks West have been married for 62 years.

Personal: A 1946 graduate of Wilson High School she had been employed by Bethlehem Steel and was a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

Memberships: She was a member of Harmony Presbyterian Church, Phillipsburg and had been the drummer in the Earl Held All Girl’s Band.  She was a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout Leader; a life member of PTA;  Past-President of the Harmony Twp. PTA and member of the Warren County Juvenile Conference Committee.

Survivors: Her husband: Brooks; 3 daughters: Jann Woodburn and her husband David of Cudjoe Key, FL; Randa Barabas and her husband Joseph of Plainfield Twp., PA; Karen “Becky” Brandt and her husband David of Harmony, NJ; a son Reed West of Cape Coral, FL; 9 grandchildren: Sarah, Emily and Adrienne; Corinne and Bryan;  Jennifer, Derek, Kevin and Allison; and 5 great-grandchildren: Chandler, Caleigh, Catharine, Evelyn and Cole.

Services: 11 a.m. Saturday in Harmony Presbyterian Church, 2727 Belvidere Road., with a calling period from 10 to 11 in the church; the Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements. Interment will be in St. James Lutheran (Straw) Church Cemetery, Phillipsburg.

Memorial Contributions: may be made to Harmony Presbyterian Church, 2727 Belvidere Rd., Phillipsburg, NJ 08865.

Harold L. Vasvari, 92 of Palmer Twp. died Sunday, December 25, 2011 in ManorCare Health Services, Old Orchard.

Born: August 9, 1919 in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Daniel and Julia Pierz Vasvari. He and his wife Helen Powell Vasvari celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past Sept.

Personal: He was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Marine Corps in the Pacific Theatre. He worked for Luria Steel Supply Co. of Bethlehem for almost 40 years before retiring in 1986. He and his wife also owned and operated Webster’s restaurant in the Palmer Park Mall in the early 1980’s. One of his favorite pastimes was as a high school football official in the Lehigh Valley for over 40 years.  One of his proudest moments was being inducted into the Lehigh Valley National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 2002.

Memberships: He was a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, Palmer Twp.

Survivors: wife: Helen; sons: Hal and his wife Colette of Nazareth; Richard and his wife Verdi of Whitehall; grandsons: Todd, Chris, Sean, Brett, Jon and Jan and great-grandchildren: Bryce, Brady, Cade and Liam.

Services: Prayer Service will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 14th and Northampton Sts., Easton with visitation from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.  Interment will be in Northampton Memorial Shrine.

Memorial Contributions: may be made to St. Jane Frances de Chantal, 4049 Hartley Ave., Easton, PA 18045.