Florence M. "Flo" Bolchalk

BOARDMAN – Florence M. “Flo” Bolchalk, 94, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, September 7, 2023.

Florence was born on February 17, 1929, in Youngstown, a daughter of the late Michael and Elizabeth (Guidos) Fetsko. She was a 1946 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School.

After graduation, she started working at Strouss, first in the bakery and then in the alterations department. She then had a 31-year career at Sears starting as a part-time gift wrapper on Market Street and then for many years in the parts department on Brooklyn Ave eventually retiring from the hardware department in the Southern Park Mall.

Flo valued her Catholic faith and was a long-time active parishioner of St. Matthias Church, serving as past president of the Altar and Rosary Society and the Sacred Heart Society. She also was a eucharistic minister for mass, distributed communion for homebound parishioners, and made rosaries. In addition, she was a past president of the Mill Creek Chapter of ABWA as well as a past recipient of the ABWA Woman of the Year award.

Besides her professional accomplishments Flo loved to knit and belonged to the Shawl Ministry at Ursuline Motherhouse. She was an excellent seamstress and baker—except for the raisins. Flo was strong willed and persistent but loved to spoil her grandkids and great grandkids with snacks. She very much enjoyed her Sunday’s lunches spent with her sister Theresa.

Flo leaves behind to cherish her memories, her son, James (Diane) Bolchalk, grandchildren, Jeff (Becky) Bolchalk, Elissa (Eric) Alexander, and Jason (Ana) Bolchalk, great grandchildren, Quinn, Andrew, Genevieve, Logan, Jackson, Hunter, Karston, and Jillian, son-in-law, Steven Gottlieb; sister-in-law, Mary Helen Fetsko, and cousin Patricia Guidos.

Other than her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles “Cappy” Bolchalk, whom she married February 11, 1950, and who passed away on August 6, 2018, her daughter, Martha (Bolchalk) Gottlieb, as well as her siblings, brother Michael Fetsko, sisters Pauline Neapolitan, Theresa Boring, and Mary Nemeth, as well as several nephews.

The family is especially appreciative and would like to thank the staff at Hampton Woods Assisted Living who were so kind and helpful to Flo during her time there and for the care provided by Dr. Joseph Zeno.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that prayers be said for those in need and for those who have passed.

Friends may call from 10:00AM to 10:45 AM on Monday, September 11th at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish at St. Matthias Church, followed immediately by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM, celebrated by Father John Jerek. She will be laid to rest with her husband at Lake Park Cemetery.

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