Online Obituaries

Stephen J. Dohnalek Sr.

August 02, 1921 - June 11, 2009

Stephen J. Dohnalek Sr. of Syracuse

Stephen John Dohnalek, Sr. (87). Steve, or Don as many knew him, passed into life eternal at his home in Syracuse, NY on June 11, 2009. Born in the small town of Dubnany, in the Moravian Region of Czechoslovakia, August 2, 1921, he was the youngest child of John and Stepanka Rihak Dohnalek. At age nine, he immigrated with his family to the United States, where they settled in Johnson City, NY. Steve spent most of the remainder of his life residing in Johnson City and Binghamton until 2004, when he and his wife moved to Syracuse.He attended Stella School and the Johnson City Schools, where he was an accomplished high school baseball and basketball player. He served in the US Army Air Corps from 1942-1946. After his military service, he worked for Endicott-Johnson Corp., retiring after 40+ years. He was a member of the Ascension Lutheran Church, Binghamton.Stephen is survived by his devoted wife of sixty-five years, Wilma Krch Dohnalek, and their three children: Brenda D. (Stephen) Williams, Syracuse; Stephen Jr., New York City; and Susan M. (Alfred) Nielsen, Syracuse. He is also survived by five granddaughters; Jessica (New York City), Stephanie (Cary, NC), and Emily Nielsen (Syracuse) and Hope (Tempe, AZ) and Heather Williams (Baltimore, MD). He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.Besides his family, especially his beautiful and loving granddaughters, Steve's other life-long passion was baseball. For many of his adult years, he played church-league softball and coached the Binghamton First Ward Merchants Little League team. He also umpired men's baseball and women's softball from Little League to college-level to adult-league, in and around the Triple Cities area. He enjoyed the Little Leaguers the most. Steve was predeceased by his parents and by his two older sisters: Mary Svrcek of Johnson City, and Eva Maxian of Binghamton, NY.

Funeral Information

The family will receive visitors on Sunday, June 14, 2009 from 3-6 p.m. at the Chopyak-Scheider Funeral Home, 326 Prospect Street, Binghamton. A service of Christian burial will be celebrated at Ascension Lutheran Church, 324 Clinton Street, Binghamton, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 15th. Interment will immediately follow at Slovak Lutheran Cemetery in Johnson City.

Donations Information

Donations in Steve's memory may be made to Ascension Lutheran Church Memorial Fund; PACE CNY, Sally Coyne Center for Independence, 100 Malta Lane, North Syracuse, NY 13212; or Alzheimer's Association, 441 W. Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse, NY 13204.

Directions

Visitation:  Map to Chopyak-Scheider Funeral Home

Service:  map to ascension lutheran church

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