AUSTINTOWN - Joseph T. Hlinka, 83, passed away Sunday morning, June 29, 2014, at Hospice House in Poland, Ohio after fighting a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.
Joseph, who was affectionately known as “Penner,” was born Oct. 20, 1930, in Youngstown, Ohio, a son of the late Vincent and Mary Margosiak Hlinka, and was a lifelong area resident of the Mahoning Valley.
Joe worked as a steel hauler/truck driver at Youngstown Cartage for 32 years, and later worked at Worthington Industries in Salem, OH for 12 years before retiring in the mid 1990s.
While employed for Youngstown Cartage, Joe received recognition from the Ohio Truckers Association for driving a million miles accident-free.
Penner was a member of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and enjoyed flower gardening and watching his great-nephew, Troy.
He was also a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War.
Joseph is survived by his loving wife of nearly 59 years, Gloria Inhouse Hlinka, whom he married Sept. 3, 1955; his son, Joseph R. Hlinka of Austintown, Ohio; his brother, Richard Hlinka of Youngstown, OH; and several nieces and nephews.
A brother, William Hlinka, and two sisters, Rosemary Eagan and Irene Amundsen, preceded him in death. Family and friends may gather from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, July 7, at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 4700 Norquest Blvd., Austintown, and are welcome to stay for a Mass of Christian Burial that will be celebrated at 1 p.m.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home, 477 N. Meridian Road, Youngstown. Please visit kinnickfuneralhome.com to view this obituary and to send condolences to Joe’s family online.