Herbert J. “Ike” Eichner, 85, of West Sunbury, formerly of Gibsonia, passed away at 10 p.m. Monday at the Butler VNA Inpatient Hospice following a one-year illness.

He was born Dec. 14, 1925, in Sharpsburg, the son of the late August Eichner and Magdalena Farbacher Eichner.

He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army and received the Purple Heart while serving in the European theater.

He was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church.

He was a self-employed contractor and the former owner of Sandy Hill Golf Course.

He was an avid golfer and enjoyed racing pigeons and raising chickens.

He is survived by his wife, Florence F. Pilarski Eichner, who he married Aug. 23, 1947; two daughters, Mrs. Frank (Amy) Maxwell of South Butler and Mrs. Charles (Patricia) Wright of Youngstown, N.Y.; two sons, Raymond Eichner and his wife, Kathleen, of Renfrew and Kenneth Eichner and his wife, Marion, of Butler; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two sisters, Dorothy Ammer of Zelienople and Bernadette Gallagher of Ohio; and two brothers, Thomas Eichener of Sharpsburg and Bernard Eichner of Gibsonia.

He was preceded in death by four sisters and two brothers.

<B>EICHNER</B> — Friends of Herbert J. “Ike” Eichner, who died Monday, May 30, 2011, will be received at <B>William F. Young Funeral Home</B>, 132 Main St., West Sunbury, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Louis Catholic Church in West Sunbury with Father James Bedillion of St. Alphonsus Parish officiating. Burial will be in Our Lady of Hope Cemetery in Tarentum.