Donald M. Tkach 1933-2026

He was born Nov. 5, 1933, in Youngstown, the only son of parents Michael and Mary L. Koken Tkach.

He was a veteran of the United States Navy and owned his own flooring company with his cousin, Tkach Floor Covering, until his retirement in 1993.

He never needed much to get started — just an idea, a few tools and whatever scraps were within reach. Where most of us saw odds and ends, he saw potential. An avid gardener, he began his vegetables from seed, coaxing life up from the dirt with patience and quiet pride. There was something poetic about that. He understood that good things take time — whether it was a tomato plant or a well-built table.

His hands were rarely still. Woodworking, tinkering, fixing, adjusting — if something wasn’t working, he’d figure it out. He built what he needed, including clever little solutions like a box for the remote or projects others wouldn’t have thought twice about. Bottle caps became tables. Leftovers became something useful. He was a true jack-of-all-trades with a mind that never shut off. Problems weren’t inconveniences; they were puzzles.

He was practical and famously frugal — the kind of man who could stretch a dollar until it politely asked for mercy. But he knew when to loosen the reins. He loved wings and a Rolling Rock, a little time at the casino, and, most of all, the beach. The warmth. The breeze. The feeling of sand under his feet. At 80 years old, he got his passport and went to Aruba — because living was meant to be done, not postponed.

He was authentic in a way you can’t manufacture. What you saw was exactly what you got: steady, capable, quietly funny and deeply content with simple pleasures. He built things. He fixed things. He grew things. And in doing so, he built a life that was entirely, unmistakably his own, which we will miss so much.

Donald is survived by his beloved wife of almost 69 years, the former Joann Sipe; his children, Ed (Kelly) Tkach and Terri Yuhanek; and grandchildren, Christopher Yuhanek, Geno Tkach and Gia (Danny) Price.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Michael Tkach.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Hospice of the Valley for their compassionate care of Donald in his time of need.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Davidson-Becker Funeral Home in Struthers. Visit www.beckerobits.com to send the family condolences and share your memories.

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