William J. Kovacs Sr.

A long time former Bethlehem resident William J. Kovacs Sr. passed away on November 10th at 9:05 p.m.Bill had been a Labor Union business agent representative for the then American Bakery and Confectionary Workers International Union Local 179, Bethlehem, PA. He was also a past President of the Northeast Pennsylvania Joint Labor Board of the American Bakers and Confectionary Workers Union. Bill had been a former Vice President of the Northampton Pennsylvania and Warren, New Jersey Counties Council Trade Labor Union. He had been employed at the Just Born Candy Company in Bethlehem as the Traffic and Transportation Manager for the Rodda Candy Company, a then wholly-owned subsidiary of Just Born Candy Company. He later became assistant Operation Manager for the Keystone Oil Company of Philadelphia with affiliates in Coatesville, West Chester, Chester, Allentown, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He resided in Exton, PA during this time period.Bill was a Warehouse Superintendent and Assistant General Manager of the Lehigh Wholesale Grocery Company, Inc. and its subsidiary Vitafrost Foods, Inc. of Allentown PA. He was last employed in the Human Resources Department as the Security Coordinator for the Greif Companies located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. He was a former member of the Bethlehem Junior Chamber of Commerce and was also a past president of the Liberty High School Grenadier Band Parents Club.He was a member of the North End Wanderers Club of Bethlehem. He was also elected by the voters of the 15th Ward First District of Bethlehem as their Democratic Committeeman. He also served on the Bethlehem City Democratic Committee. Bill served on the Personnel Board of Hanover Township Lehigh County. In 1999, he was elected by the voters to serve as a councilman in the Township. He served the Township for 14 years.Bill had been a previous member of the First Hungarian Lutheran Church in Bethlehem where he had served on the church council and had been very active there for a great number of years. After moving to Allentown, he became a member of Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church of Schoenersville. He had served on the church council and was also a past president of same. He is presently a member of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church located on Jacksonville Road, Bethlehem. He was a graduate of Bethlehem Vo-Technical School. He also attended a 2-year program at William Allen High School in the field of Traffic and Transportation. It was sponsored by the Delta New Alpha Chapter of the Lehigh Valley Traffic Club. He was a 1948 graduate of The Quinn School of South Bethlehem.William was the son of the late Joseph and Theresa Skrabin Kovacs Sr. He is survived by his wife Patricia with whom he celebrated 61 years of marriage; sons, William J. Kovacs, Jr. of Allentown, Mark W. and daughter-in-law Julie A. Kovacs of Naples, Florida, Brian M. Kovacs of Bath, and daughter-in-law, Heather J. Kovacs of Allentown, Pennsylvania. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, Alan W. Kovacs of Allentown, Jonathan P. Kovacs, of Bethlehem, and Krystalyn M. Kovacs of Pittsburgh.Services: A memorial service will be held at Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, 2700 Jacksonville Rd., Bethlehem on Saturday, Nov. 17th at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the church.The family requests, in lieu of flowers, to please send donations to the American Heart/American Stroke Association at 968 Postal Rd. Allentown, PA 18109 in his name. Arrangements by Nicos C. Elias Funeral Home, Allentown.