- Date Of Death: July 26, 2013
- State: Pennsylvania
George J. Raykos, 91, of Bethlehem, died on Friday, July 26 at Country Meadows, Bethlehem. He was the husband of the late Mary (Gaydos) Raykos, who died on June 7, 2012. Born in Bethlehem, he was the son of the late Anna and Stephen Rakos. He was employed by the Bethlehem Steel Corp. for 42 years, mostly as a millwright, retiring in early 1983. He was a member of USWA Local 2600. He was a member of Incarnation of Our Lord Parish formerly (St. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Church) in Bethlehem, a former member of the Holy Name Society, and a Retreatant of St. Francis Friary of Easton, PA since the 1970’s. He also was a 4th Degree member in the Knights of Columbus of Lehigh Valley 0931 Assembly and Bethlehem’s Calvary Council N. 313. At a National Sokol Gymnastic & Fraternal Organization USA Convention in Chicago, with Headquarters located in East Orange, NJ, he was elected to the Finance Committee and served for eight years; President of District Jan Kollar of Eastern, PA and New Jersey of Sokol USA, and also Recording Secretary of Sokol Branch #93 in Bethlehem PA. for many years. In prior years he was very active in gymnastics, basketball, golf, and bowling at the Bethlehem Sokol Club. He was a Navy veteran of WWII serving as a Petty Officer Yeoman for 33 months in the Pacific Theatre with the 95th Naval Construction Battalion. His Battalion received a written commendation from C.W. Nimitz, Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy of the entire Pacific Campaign, on its performance on Iwo Jima. After his last duty on Iwo Jima when the war ended, his orders were to report to N.Y.
