Stephen T. Chovanes, 85, of Leechburg died Tuesday at West Haven Nursing Home, Apollo.

Born Oct. 3, 1921, in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, he was the son of John Chovanes and Anna Pochiba.

He retired in 1988 after 37 years as a steelworker at Allegheny Ludlum, West Leechburg, and he belonged to the United Steelworkers Local 1138.

Mr. Chovanes was a member of Christ the King Parish, Leechburg, and was a former member of the St. Martha Church in Leechburg. He also belonged to the Slovak Sokol Union.

He was raised on one of two farms that he owned and spent his life buying, selling and raising farm animals, particularly registered Belgian draft horses.

He enjoyed hunting small game and deer and attending farm auctions at Belknap, Dayton and Homer City.

Surviving are his wife, Anna Marie Mraz Chovanes, whom he married May 5, 1945; two sons, John S. Chovanes and his wife, Eileen, of Fenelton and Stephen J. Chovanes and his companion, Bonnie Butler, Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kathleen and Andrew Uncapher Jr. of New Kensington and Michele and Anthony DeCenzo of Ambridge; and a sister, Phyllis DiGirolamo of Ohio.

He also is survived by four grandchildren, Elizabeth Gwinn, Stephen Steffan and John T. and Daniel J. Chovanes; and a stepgrandson, Eric McLafferty.

He was preceded in death by six brothers, Joseph, Andrew, Adam, Martin, George and Paul Chovanes, and three sisters, Henrietta Romanik, Anna Ross and Julia Coakley.

<B>Chovanes</B> — Friends of Stephen T. Chovanes, who died Tuesday, May 22, 2007, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the <B>Clawson Funeral HomE</B>, 170 W. Main St., Leechburg. Prayers for the Transfer of the Body will be at 9:15 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. A funeral Mass will follow at 10 a.m. Friday at Christ the King Church, Leechburg, with the Rev. Joseph Trupkovich officiating. Burial will be at St. Catherine Cemetery, Gilpin Township.As a final tribute to their father, his children requested he be carried to his final resting place by a horse-drawn hearse.Funeral arrangements are by his niece, Mary Ann Badura, funeral director, <B>Faykosh Funeral Home</B>, Ford City.