Betty J. Kotula

Betty J. Kotula, 93, of Crawfordtown Road, Punxsutawney, passed away on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at Punxsutawney Area Hospital.

She was born on August 19, 1926 in Youngstown, Ohio, a daughter of the late William Clyde Smith and Anna (Bossevelle) Smith.

On November 3, 1945, she married her sweetheart, John “Tarzan” Kotula.  He preceded her in death on December 22, 1997.

She was a member of St. Adrian’s Catholic Church, as well as Catholic Daughters of America.

Betty was an ambitious woman, she worked at Sylvania making vacuum tubes, Cameron Manufacturing making ammunition during World War II, and Rola Jensen assembling speakers.

She was truly a people person, she always had a smile on her face and loved to be around others. Betty spent many hours as a volunteer for the Red Cross Blood Mobile and served many veteran’s funeral honors with the Jefferson County Veterans Honor Guard up until the last few months. She was a member of the VFW and American Legion Auxilliary’s, as well as Senior Assist.

Betty was a great mother, she was very loving and always there for her sons and family.

She is survived by two sons, William J. Kotula and wife Patricia of Wake Forest, North Carolina and Kenneth Kotula and wife Natalie of Punxsutawney; six grandchildren, William J. Kotula, Jr., Deborah Kotula, Daniel Kotula, Jennifer Moore, Michelle Hayes and husband Gordon, and Julie Kotula; Eleven great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren; one sister, Nancy Weaver and husband Robert of Stump Creek; one brother, Donald Smith and wife Ethel of Juneau; one sister in-law Carol Smith of Ocala, Florida.

Preceded in death by her parents, husband John, and one brother, William Smith.

Friends will be received from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Friday, June 12, 2020 at Shumaker Funeral Home, Inc., Punxsutawney.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. at the funeral home, celebrated by Monsignor Joseph Riccardo.

Interment will follow at Adrian-Anita Roman Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made in Betty’s memory to the Disabled American Veterans, VA Regional Office, 1000 Liberty Ave, Room 1606, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

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