Bernard E. "Ben" Gajewski, 93, of Butler died early Friday morning at the Good Samaritan Hospice at Concordia in Cabot.

He was born Jan. 20, 1915, in Butler, a son of John and Agnes Rappa Gajewski.

In 1977, Mr. Gajewski retired as the foreman in the Inspection Department of the Armco Steel Corp.'s Butler plant, where he had been employed for 45 years.

He had been a lifelong member of the former St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in Lyndora, which has now become part of St. Fidelis Catholic parish.

Mr. Gajewski was an avid sports fan, especially of the Pittsburgh-area teams, the Steelers and Pirates; and enjoyed hunting and outdoor sports.

He is survived by his wife, Helen Yankowski Gajewski, whom he married June 20, 1937; a son, John T. Gajewski of Butler; a daughter, Bernice Thoma and her husband, Paul, of Penn Township; two sisters, Laura Lorek of North Carolina and Dorothy Nikolayuk of New Jersey; two grandsons, Brian Thoma and Bruce Thoma and his wife, Laura; and five great-grandchildren, Brad, Nicole, Kaitlyn, Ben and Maddilyn Thoma.

<B>GAJEWSKI —</B> Friends of Bernard E. "Ben" Gajewski, who died Friday, April 11, 2008, will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Fidelis Catholic Church, 330 Penn Avenue, Lyndora, with the Rev. George Palick, Parochial Vicar, officiating. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Butler. There will be no public visitation.Arrangements are by the GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler.Additional information can be found and condolence messages placed for the family, at www.geibelfuneralhome.com.