Michael J. Valko

Michael “Mike” Joseph Valko, age 93, from North Apollo, Pennsylvania passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at his residence in Westfield, IN after a decline in health. He was born in Niles, Ohio on August 4, 1929 to Michael J. and Anna (Basista) Valko. His parents immigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1928 and his first language was Slovak.

Mike graduated from Apollo High School in 1947 and worked at Apollo Steel Corporation in Apollo, PA. He entered the Army on June 21, 1951, and served at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Indiana in Finance during the Korean War. He married his beloved wife, June Idella Ross, in Apollo, Pennsylvania on September 5, 1951. After an honorable discharge from the Army, as a Corporal on June 20, 1953, he attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and graduated with a degree in Accounting in 1957.

Mike worked for various companies over the years including U.S. Steel, Eaton Corporation, and Motorola Inc. He retired from the Pittsburgh Housing Authority in 1994. During his work years Mike and his family lived in quite a few different states as a result of him being promoted and transferred during his working career. These included Gary, IN, Lorain, OH, Marshall, MI, Marion and Bay Village, OH, Lake Zurich, IL and Apollo, PA. After retirement Mike and his wife June moved to Port St. John, Florida. They decided to move back up north in 2003 and resided in both Noblesville and Westfield, IN since then.

Mike enjoyed gardening, reading, and visiting and vacationing with family and friends. He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and Knights of Columbus. He volunteered for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul for many years. Mike was active in the various churches he belonged to as a lector and Eucharistic minister, and performed prison ministry in his retirement years. Mike was an outgoing, friendly person and loved his family.

He is survived by his wife June of 71 years, his daughters and their spouses Amanda Valko and Brian Fritz of New Castle, PA and Claudia and Kevin Haaning of Westfield, IN. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Nicole Haaning (Zeb Curtin) of Golden Valley, MN, Christian Haaning (Jami) of Portland, OR, Allison Haaning and her fiancé Julie Weinans of Rogers, MN, Kelsey Rapier (Brandon) of Westfield, IN and Neil Haaning of Westfield, IN; five great-grandchildren Magnus and Mabel Curtin, Arlo Haaning, and Amelia and Lucas Rapier; five nieces and six nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Anna Valko, his sister and her husband Mary and Joseph Kolodjieski, his mother-in-law and father-in-law John and Florence Ross, his sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-laws and three nieces and two nephews.

Visitation hours will be held on Friday, August 4, 2023 from 2-4 p.m. at Indiana Funeral Care, 8151 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, IN 46250. A veteran’s honor guard ceremony will be held at 4 p.m. with a short service afterward. Interment will be in Riverview Cemetery in Apollo, Pennsylvania at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mike’s name to Boys Town at https://support.boystown.org, American Diabetes Association at https://www.diabetes.org, and/or the American Heart Association at https://www.heart.org/donate.