John E. Kollek, 69, of Evans City died Wednesday at UPMC Passavant Hospital, McCandless Township.

Born Sept. 1, 1939, in Amsterdam, Holland, he was the son of the late Werner and Dorothy Shuer Kollek.

Mr. Kollek was a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, who served at Cape May, N.J., and at Sand Island in Hawaii.

He enjoyed hunting and was a member of the NRA. He also enjoyed the computer, his dog, Roxanne, and he especially enjoyed organizing family gatherings.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sara "Sally" Kollek, who he married Dec. 30, 1959; three daughters, Katrina Hohmann and her husband, Howard, Krystal Ripper, and Karla Vogel, all of Evans City; a son, Todd Kollek and his wife, Michelle, of Harmony; and two sisters, Margaret Stull and her husband, James, and Virginia Schoeffel and her husband, Terry, all of Evans City. Also surviving are 14 grandchildren and a dear family member, Donna Kollek of Cranberry Township.

<B>KOLLEK</B>— A memorial service for John E. Kollek, who died Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2008, will be 11 a.m. Jan. 10 at <B>Boylan Funeral Home</B>, 116 E. Main Street, Evans City.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Neurotransplantation Research Fund, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Institutional Advancement, 4200 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213.Online condolences and directions at www.boylanfuneralhome.com.