Otis “Uncle Sam” Smith, Jr., 68, of Ambridge, passed away on January 5th, 2026. He was born on October 7th, 1957 and he was preceded in death by his parents, Georgella and Otis Smith, Sr., his mother, Beatrice Kimbrough, his maternal grandparents, Henry and Birdie Bratton, his uncles, Phillip, Luther and Henry Bratton, an aunt, Carrie McIver and his nephew, Phillip James Bratton. He is survived by his sisters, Lucille “Candy” Williams and Roberta “Wendy” Kimbrough, his brother, Phillip (Pamela) Bratton, his nieces and nephews: Mikee (Kelly) Williams, Maury (Vena) Willaims, Damon (Jaime) Bratton, Darnell (Tracy) Bratton, Teylore Bratton, Sheree Bratton, Devonte Allison, and Durann Allison; along with numerous great nieces and nephews, his special friends, Roger Fike, Blue and Mike Jeter and his beloved dog, Ashley.

Otis was a crane man at Hussy Copper for thirteen years. He then worked for the Ambridge Borough Road crew for eighteen years. He then worked at Allegheny County Schools for 9 years working with children with special needs.

A visitation will be held on Wednesday, January 14th at 4 P.M. until the time of the funeral service at 6 P.M. at the Alvarez-Hahn Funeral Services and Cremation, LLC, 547 8th Street, Ambridge, who was in charge of his arrangements.

Richard Halicek, 95, of Ambridge, passed away peacefully on January 3rd, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Sewickley on September 8th, 1930, a son of the late Mary and Frank Halicek, who were immigrants from Czechoslovakia. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mary Ann (Charles) Glas and his brother, Frank (Sylvia) Halicek. He is survived by his loving wife of 69 years, Patricia, three children, Richard Halicek, Rebecca (Charles) Dallara and Rachel (Gary) Kleemook, nine grandchildren: Emily, Eric, and Elaina Halicek, Marissa, Laura, and Elizabeth Dallara, and Chadd (Cassandra), Jeremy (Rachael), and Jamie Kleemook; as well as five great-grandchildren, Penelope, Nathan, Layla, Ella, and Kade. He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Donna Donofrio, wonderful Aunt Rozel, and numerous loving nieces and nephews. Richard attended Divine Redeemer Catholic School where he received his blessed sacraments and Leetsdale High School before moving to Ambridge, Pennsylvania, where he graduated from Ambridge High School in 1947. Following graduation, Richard began studying at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Apprenticeship Program, where he met his future wife. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1951 and was deployed to Korea, serving for two years as a Corporal in the 35th Infantry Regiment with the 25th Infantry Division. He spent his R&R in Japan where he purchased beautiful unique gifts for loved ones. After his Honorable Discharge from the Army in 1952, Richard returned home and completed his electrical apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 712. He worked as a skilled and successful journeyman wireman until his retirement in 1992. He was a proud member of Local Union 712 for 77 years.
In his spare time, Richard enjoyed flying Cessna planes, boating, beating everyone at lunch at checkers, and water skiing with his family on the Ohio River. He also enjoyed traveling to Sanibel Island and providing scuba instruction at the Sewickley YMCA. He co-founded the Halicek-Weber’s Dive Shop in Baden with his best friend, Dick Weber. He had a rare blood type and selflessly donated blood throughout his life to help others.
Friends will be received on Friday, January 9th, from 9:30 A.M. until a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 A.M. in the Good Samaritan Catholic Church, 725 Glenwood Avenue, Ambridge. Arrangements have been entrusted to the John Syka Funeral Home, Inc., 833 Kennedy Drive, Ambridge. The mass will be live-streamed as well at stluke.net>Resources>Good Samaritan Live 24/7. Interment will follow in the Good Samaritan Catholic Cemetery there with the Beaver County Special Unit providing full military honors. All are welcome to celebrate Richard and pray for his soul.
Richard enjoyed caring for animals and watching/feeding all the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks in his yard. He sat on his bench and spent lazy afternoons in the sunshine admiring his beautiful oak trees and saying hi to anyone who walked by. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Beaver County Humane Society, 3394 Brodhead Road, Aliquippa.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to all of his caregivers from Visiting Angels, Vitas Hospice, and Cornerstone, who kindly helped him over the past year, and more recently, the Medical Staff of Heritage Valley Beaver. A special thanks to his neighbors, Rick, Gerry, and Jeffrey Hughes and Howard and Cindy Miller, for their never ending friendship and support, and to everyone in the community that he loved spending endless hours visiting and talking to.

He was always laughing, smiling, and was a bright light in so many ways. He will forever be loved and dearly missed.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard Halicek, please visit the floral store of the John Syka Funeral Home, Inc. by clicking here.

Donna Wade, 83, of New Brighton, passed away on January 2nd, 2026, at Heritage Valley Beaver. She was born on September 7th, 1942, a daughter of the late Louis and Marguerite (Poulain) Krachinsky. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Glenn Wade, her sister, Lucille Conner and her grand-daughter, Jenna Magestro. She is survived by her children, Glenn Wade, Lisa (Eric) Tesch and Terry (Mike) Veon, her sister, Darla Brewer, her grandchildren: David Magestro, Mark (Alex) Magestro, Tim (Alyssa) Caplinger and Jason Caplinger; as well as her great-grandchildren, Aryanna and Harper Magestro and her nephew, Robert Conner.

Donna was a woman whose life was defined by creativity, generosity, and connection. She loved spending time playing cards with friends, crocheting, and decorating, with a special passion for creating beautiful flower arrangements. She was a natural thoughtful gift giver who found joy in making others feel loved and appreciated. Her warmth and giving spirit left a lasting impression on all who knew her, and she will be remembered for the joy she brought into everyday moments.

Friends and family will be received on Thursday, January 8th from 4-6 P.M. and on Friday, January 9th, from 10 A.M. until the time of the blessing service at 11 A.M. at the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc., 1612 3rd Avenue, New Brighton, who was in charge of her arrangements.

A private burial will be held at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, First Street, New Brighton.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Donna Wade, please visit the flower store of the J&J Spratt Funeral Home, Inc. by clicking here.

Dr. Joseph T. Makarewicz, PhD, OFS, 88, passed away on January 4th, 2026 at AHN Wexford Hospital. He was born in Philadelphia on March 6th, 1937, the son of the late Mary (Wozny) and Joseph S. Makarewicz. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Bonnie L. (Tharp) Makarewicz, OFS, their cat, Queen Pixie, Beth Tharp, his sister-in-law of Cranberry Township, Dan and Mary Pattison of Bentleyville, Grace Horne, Linda Hartley of Washington, Aunt Florence Pasztalaniec of Philadelphia and his cousins, Diane Homewood and Monica Davey, all who were very helpful during his illness. He got really sick on Christmas Eve and passed away on the Feast of the Epiphany. He attended St. Adalberts Elementary Catholic School and North East Catholic High School. He then attended LaSalle University where he majored in History, Political Science and Philosophy, and was a member of Phi Alpha Theta. He obtained a scholarship to Marquette University and earned a Master’s Degree. He then received a Teaching Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh, and earned his PhD (Doctorate in History). He authored a book to get his PhD, titled “The Impact of World War I on Pennsylvania Politics”. He taught at East Stroudsburg State University, Penn State Beaver Campus, and the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a Professor of History and Director of the Pennsylvania Ethnic Heritage Studies Center and Associate Director of the University Center for International Studies. At UCIS, he was responsible for Multi-Cultural Programs and also worked with the foreign visitors who came to UCIS. This was perhaps his greatest joy. While at Pitt, he served as Vice President of the Polish Room and was on Nationality Room Scholarship Committee. He has attended the University of Minnesota Post-Doctorate program, the University of Chicago Newberry Library Research Fellowship and the University of Wisconsin Summer Institute. He met his wife, Bonnie at the University of Pittsburgh during the Summer Fellowship where she worked in the Pitt Library.  She immediately caught his eye because she wore a yellow dress and she could type and he later found out that she could cook! They were married on August 7th, 1965 at St. Titus Catholic Church in Aliquippa, and they celebrated 60 years of marriage in August. He was a member of the Heinz History Center and local historical societies, especially the Anthony Wayne Historical Society. He wrote book reviews for the History Center and the Catholic Historical Society. He was co-editor of “Milestones’, the local historical newsletter. Joe belonged to the BCHRLF (Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation) serving as Past President. He was a member of Good Samaritan Catholic Church in Ambridge of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish (former Our Lady of Peace Church, Conway, and Saint John the Baptist Church, Baden) where he served on the Parish Council, was an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, member of the Holy Name Society, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and taught RCIA and CCD classes for many years. He and Frank Thomas were the first Eucharistic Ministers chosen to serve St. John the Baptist Church. He was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph Auxiliary and a Consultant for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the early 1990’s when many churches were merged. He joined the Alverno Fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order in 1989, and served as Minister and Formation Director. He was a member of the Serra Club of Pittsburgh and served as President and Board member. He was also a member of the Big Knob Grange, and assisted with the Fairs and dinners. He was a member of the Friends of the Baden Memorial Library, and worked on their Annual Wine and Cheese Event, as recently as 2025. At the request of Sr. Carolyn Wiethorn, he has volunteered at Concordia at Villa St Joseph in Baden (former Villa St. Joseph) since 2000, serving as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, and conducted a monthly program called “News and Views” for the residents.  For several years, he and Bonnie served on the Annual Fund Raising Committee, “Young at Heart” and they chaired the dinner event in 2014.  They were honored to be selected for the “Partner in Caring Award” in 2016. He was a paper boy for the “Philadelphia Bulletin” in high school, and he won a contest to attend President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration in 1953. His hobbies included gardening, stamp collecting, reading, photography, golfing and cooking on the grill. He was appointed Chief Food Tester by Rose Curcio, when he assisted with a picnic on retreat for Confirmation students. As a result, he continued to cook on the grill. Two weeks ago, he assisted Bonnie by frying the Chrusciki Polish cookies, and making the Pizzelles for the Christmas holidays. He loved the Easter and Christmas holidays! Joe and Bonnie have traveled extensively abroad and in the United States.  They especially enjoyed spending recent summers at Lake Chautauqua. He misses his German Shepherd, Cleo and his cats, Tiger and Mia.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Good Samaritan Church, St. Luke the Evangelist Parish, 725 Glenwood Avenue, Ambridge, PA 15003.

Friends will be received on Wednesday, January 7th from 2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the Alvarez-Hahn Funeral Services and Cremation, LLC, 547 8th Street, Ambridge, who was in charge of his arrangements, and where the Secular Franciscans will also have a wake service at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. A prayer service will also be held at that funeral home on Thursday, January 8th at 10 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Good Samaritan Catholic Church, 725 Glenwood Avenue, Ambridge at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Freedom.

He lived life to the fullest until the very end, volunteering his time and service to the end. A thank you goes out to all who cared for Joseph recently, especially Dr. James Meditch and staff, the staff at AHN Wexford, Concordia at Villa St Joseph, the Sisters of St Joseph, and Three Oaks Hospice.  Very thankful for the prayers and support of Fr. Joe, Fr. Chris, Deacon Tony, Sr. Carolyn, Sr. Bernadette, Rachelle, Jan, David, Joyce, Tim, Donna, Shaunette, Jackie, Christian Mothers & Ladies Guild, and our Secular Franciscan brothers and sisters.