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Obituary
Catherine D. Smolinsky, 91, of Drums and formerly of Beaver Meadows, passed away Sunday, June 28, 2026, at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Hospital. Born on July 15, 1934,in McAdoo, she was the daughter of the late Michael and Catherine (Potochny) Palko and was a member of Our Lady of Peace Parish at Most Precious Blood Church, Hazleton.
She was a 1952 graduate of Hazle Township High School and retired from White Haven State Center in White Haven. She and her husband served as the team couple for Pre-Cana in the Hazleton area and for Worldwide Marriage Encounter. She enjoyed doing puzzle books, praying the Rosary, and saying her daily prayers.
Catherine loved going to church, loved Wednesday lunch with the ladies, and cherished Sunday breakfast with her family. Most of all, she cherished every moment with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 59 years, Reverend Deacon Louis E. Smolinsky, in 2012; her daughter, Karen; granddaughter, Amy Lynn; brother, Michael; and sister, Marie.
She is survived by her children: Rita Ann Boyle, McAdoo; James and his wife, Donna, North Carolina; Louis J. and his wife, Tina, Florida; Diane Novotny and her husband, Frank, Arkansas; Joseph and his wife, Marylu, Drums; Michael, West Hazleton; Mark, Florida; George and his wife, Diane, Tennessee; Mary Lynn Molinaro and her husband, Brian, Maryland; Todd and his wife, Nicole, Freeland; and Tim Hynich and his wife, Celeste, Massachusetts. She is also survived by 28 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, her brother, Gabriel Palko; sister, Rita Palko; sister-in-law, Mary Palko; and many nieces and nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, July 7th, at 10 A.M. in Our Lady of Peace Parish at Most Precious Blood Church. Interment will follow in Holy Trinity Slovak Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to call on Monday, July 6th, from 6-8 P.M. at the Joseph A. Moran Funeral Home, 229 W. 12th Street, Hazleton. -
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