- Date Of Birth: August 15, 1942
- Date Of Death: October 23, 2022
- State: Pennsylvania
Francis R. Horvath, Jr., 80, of Bethlehem, died in his home October 23, 2022 with his family at his side. He was the husband of Margaret A. (Kutos) Horvath with whom he shared 56 years of marriage. Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of Francis “Tex” and Rita (Venus) Horvath.
Fran graduated from Hellertown High School in 1960 and enlisted in the Navy. He was stationed aboard the USS Proteus 1961 – 1963 in the North Atlantic and was able to explore Scotland during free time. We’re not sure if Scotland ever recovered.
After a short stint at the Bethlehem Steel, he began a long career working for the railroad, first with Reading, then Conrail, and finally Norfolk Southern. He was proud of the work he did as a union rep, and his abilities led to working with the labor/management task force. He was a member of the Transportation Communications Union and spent years working to protect railway workers and promote safe rail transport.
He retired in 2002, but retirement didn’t last long. Little did he know that his new “part-time” job as sexton at Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church would last more than a decade. He invented his own job description and was known for pitching in on jobs that extended beyond his role.
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, he had to scale back, but worked until the pandemic hit in 2020. A born athlete, his strength and agility were key to battling Parkinson’s, and it was only during the last few months that the disease started winning.
The greatest joy in Fran’s life has been his family, and as he heads into his next adventure he leaves behind his wife, Peg (yes, they were dancing even during his final days); daughter, Dawn and her companion, Ed Repyneck; son, Christian and his fiancée, Genie Solano; grandchildren, Alexis and Jaxon; brother, Richard (Donna) Horvath; sister, Cece (Robert) Patriarca; brother-in-law, Dale Anthony; nephews, Eric Anthony, Chad Horvath and Jacob Patriarca; niece, Robin Patriarca. He was pre-deceased by his sister-in-law, Dolores Anthony and nephew, Adam Horvath.
