Obituaries

Juan W. “Pipo” Gonzalez, 85, of Whitehall, died Monday, August 30, 2021 in Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg. Born March 30, 1936 in Havana, Cuba, he was a son of the late Juan W. and Bertha M. (Duran) Gonzalez.

Surviving are his wife, Ana D. (Pacheco) Gonzalez; three sons, Harry J. Morales, Manuel Morales and Julio Morales; three daughters, Ana L. Morales, Damaris Morales and Angelica Gonzalez; fourteen grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

Private graveside services will be held at Northampton Memorial Shrine. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

James S. Young, 82 of Forks Twp., PA died Saturday, August 28, 2021, at The Easton Home, Easton, PA. Born April 14, 1939, in Hackensack, NJ he was a son of the late Helen (Wertz) and Alexander Young. A graduate of West Chester University, he received his master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and continued on in their PhD program. He was as an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at Penn State University Lehigh Valley for 30 plus years before retiring.

Professor Young also created the Penn State Cycling Team and coached cycling at Penn State for 30 years. Through the years, and his efforts, cycling expanded its reach to the Eastern Intercollegiate Cycling Conference. Cycling competition soon grew beyond a single spring race to a series of races with riders from all over the country.  Coach Young pushed for the creation of a national collegiate program and as such is credited with the formation of the National Collegiate Cycling Association. He led his team to ten national championships, more than 45 individual national championships and he personally coached 5 US Olympians. He was the President of the US Collegiate Cycling Association and President of the Future Champions Cycling Club. He also authored a handbook on cycling safety and training techniques. Jim continued to mentor his students well after retirement and will be remembered not only as a great coach but as a good friend.

Jim and his wife of 50 years, the former Barbara Bohning, loved dancing with Mark Morris’ Dance for Parkinson’s Disease group at Juilliard in New York City for many years. Never letting the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease stop him, Jim was able to enjoy his three passions in life until the very end: his family, cycling and dancing.

He is survived by his wife: Barbara Young; daughter: Kate Young (husband Keith Abrahamsson) of Brooklyn, NY; son: Matt Young (wife Katie Parson) of Mill Valley, CA; four grandchildren: Stellan and Leif Abrahamsson, and Charlotte and Sienna Young. He was predeceased by two brothers: Alexander and Bruce Young.

Services will be held at the convenience of the family, for information contact the Ashton Funeral Home, Easton at 610-253-4678. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Dance for Parkinson’s Disease at www.danceforparkinsons.org or American Parkinson’s Disease Assoc. at www.apdaparkinson.org or Search for Common Ground at www.sfcg.org.

Lillian Gaines, 91, of Easton, died Friday, August 27, 2021 in St. Luke’s Hospital. Born October 24, 1929 in Warren Glen, NJ, she was a daughter of the late Harold and Mary (Case) Freeman. Her husband, Thomas L. “Tony” Gaines died in 2017. She worked at the former ITT, Palmer Township for 35 years and retired in 1996. She was a member of American Legion, Lester Pfeffer Post 611 and VFW Post 1290.

Surviving are a son, J. Tim Freeman; a sister, Elizabeth “Liz” Freeman; three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. A son, David Freeman; four brothers, Bill Freeman, Merwin Freeman, Harold “Brud” Freeman and Joe Freeman; two sisters, Marie Smith and Dean Cook; and a grandson, died earlier.

Services will be held at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. A visitation will be held from 3:00 pm until service time on Tuesday in the funeral home. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Sharon C. LaRose, 72 of Bethlehem, PA went home to be with the Lord, Monday, August 16, 2021 at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Muhlenberg. Born March 28, 1949 in Easton, PA she was the daughter of the late Grace A. (Trauger) and Alfred V. Lock, Sr. Her husband, Lee A. LaRose died in 1992. She was retired from Selective Insurance Companies of America and had attained her Associate in Underwriting and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designations. For 50 years Sharon served as the organist at several churches including Green Pond United Methodist, the former First United Methodist both in Easton and Hawley United Methodist Church, Hawley.  She was also a member of the American Guild of Organists Lehigh Valley Chapter.

She is survived by her sister: Linda Lock and her husband Michael Nizza of Bethlehem Twp, PA; nephew: Donald Kemmerer of Bristol, PA; nieces: Susan Lock of Nazareth, Deborah Lock-Smith of White Post, VA; a great-niece and great-nephew; pet companions: Shyla and Samson and many special friends. A brother: Alfred Lock, Jr. and nephew: Kristian Kemmerer predeceased her.

Services are 10:30 AM Friday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton, with a calling period from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. Interment is in Northampton Memorial Shrine.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com 

Julia Alice Allen, 83 of Saylorsburg, PA, died August 15, 2021 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Monroe Campus. Born April 19, 1938 in Tunkhannock, PA she was the daughter of the late Lois Marie (Steinruck) and Alex Zona. Her husband Ellis W. Allen, Sr. died in 1995. She is survived by her sons: John Allen of Bethlehem, PA, Alfred Allen of Sciota, PA; her brothers: Tom Zona of Oswego, NY, Joe Zona of Tunkhannock; best friend: Bobby Branham; and 4 grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband Ellis and sons: Ellis, Jr. and Jeffrey.

A graveside service will be held 11:30 AM Tuesday, August 24 at St. John’s Union Cemetery, Williams Twp., 2745 Morgan Hill Rd., Easton, with visitation 5 to 6 PM Monday in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com

Ruth E. Cassidy, 77, of Tafton, PA, died Sunday, August 15, 2021. Born September 25, 1943 in Springfield Township, PA. she was a daughter of the late Robert and Ruth Eleanor (Beyer) Vogel. She and her husband, James Edward Cassidy were married 55 years. Ruth worked for the Warminster Township Municipal Authority for 25 years.

Surviving with her husband are two sons, Christopher Cassidy and James Cassidy and a granddaughter. Her sister, Nancy Anne Spencer died last month.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:30 am on Monday, August 23, 2021 in the Ashton Funeral Home, 1337 Northampton St., Easton. Burial will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday in Whitemarsh Memorial Park, Ambler, PA. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Jeanette H. Wilkins, 92, of Easton, died on August 12, 2021 in St. Luke’s Hospital – Anderson Campus after a recent illness. She was born in Easton on March 18, 1929 to the late Elmer F. Hinkel and Catherine Ryerson. She was married for 67 years to Raymond E. Wilkins until his passing in 2016. She graduated from Wilson High School and was employed by the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania and Wanamaker’s Department Store after retirement. She lived in Forks Township most of her life and up to her passing.

Survivors include daughters, Renee Wilkins of Palmer Township, Cindy Badway of Ocala, FL, a son, Raymond F. Wilkins of Easton; a brother, Bruce Hinkel of North Dakota and a sister, Barbara Cuva of Phillipsburg. Also, her beloved grandchildren, Chad, Christopher, and Matthew Tonay, Kevin Badway, and Lisa Badway-Maloney; and five great grandchildren. A brother, Richard Hinkel, and a sister, Virginia Hinkel-Beidler preceded her in death.

Services will be private. The Ashton Funeral Home, Easton is handling the arrangements. Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 1110 Northampton St., Easton, PA 18042 or Paralyzed Veterans of America, www.pva.org. Offer online condolences at www.AshtonFuneralHome.com.

Bobbye Acopian, 91, of Easton, died peacefully on Sunday, August 8th, surrounded by her children and grandchildren who kept vigil at her bedside.  Born November 9, 1929, in Choate, Texas, she was the daughter of the late Joel and Anna Mixon. Bobbye grew up in Pawnee, Texas, and graduated from Pawnee High School in a graduating class of eight. She then went to business school in San Antonio, Texas. While at school, she had a blind date to play tennis with her future husband, Sarkis Acopian, who was stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. His studies at Lafayette College were interrupted by his service at Lackland. That was the first and only time he ever played tennis and the last time Bobbye played for the next 28 years! They shared 59 years of marriage, until his death in 2007.

She was an extremely kind and vibrant individual, and was known for her sense of grace and elegance. She had a keen interest in art, particularly sculpting. Her own artistic creations enlivened her family residence.  Bobbye was an avid tennis player who was in her late 40s when she started seriously playing. She played on various women’s teams throughout the Lehigh Valley into her early 80s. One of her most exciting memories was when her team advanced to the USTA League Super Senior National Championships after winning the USTA Middle States Super Senior League Section Championships.

Bobbye shared her husband’s deep love for the community, the environment and philanthropy. Together, they did much for local, national and international causes which have included:  The Acopian Engineering Center at Lafayette College, the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Acopian Center for Ornithology at Muhlenberg College, the Acopian Center for the Environment at the American University of Armenia (AUA), the Acopian Ballroom at the State Theater, and the Acopian West Campus at the Children’s Home of Easton.

They also endowed the environmental and educational programs at the AUA and the Florida Institute of Technology. Other major philanthropic endeavors have included the St. Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church in Gyumri, Armenia, and the St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Charlotte, NC, the Embassy of Armenia, in Ottawa, Canada, and the Nature Conservancy Acopian Bog Turtle Preserve.  Bobbye and Sarkis were the largest individual donors to the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

She is survived by her sons: Gregory and his wife Karen of Indialantic, FL, and Jeffrey and his wife Helen of Easton; six grandchildren: Ansley, Shae, Ezra, Gregory, Ani and Natalie; five great-grandchildren: Vegas, Sakura, Boston, Beau and Tallulah.

Services are private; the Ashton Funeral Home in Easton is handling arrangements. Interment is in Easton Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Offer online condolences atwww.AshtonFuneralHome.com