Joseph G. Bechtel

Joseph Garland Bechtel, a long-time business and civic leader in Slatington, Pa., died on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at his home in Slatington surrounded by his large immediate family.  He was 88 years old.
Born in Coaldale, PA, on Nov. 8, 1935, Bechtel was the son of the late John Leonard and Margaret Ruth (Garland) Bechtel and grew up in Lansford, Pa.  He attended Saint Ann’s High School in Lansford and the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, graduating in 1957.
An only child, Bechtel spoke fondly of early life in and around Lansford blessed with many life-long friends and embraced as another son within their larger families.  “It was a different time then.  No one had much, but everyone was willing to help anyone who needed it,” he told his children.  
While attending college in Philadelphia, he met his wife Elizabeth (Edwards) through an ex-girlfriend.  When told of Mr. Bechtel’s interest in her by the old girlfriend, she replied, “If he isn’t good enough for you, why would he be good enough for me?”  A short time later, at a dance in the city, Bechtel approached her and asked for a dance.  That dance continued for the next 67 years and included raising eight children together.
Bechtel started his career as a pharmacist at Teter’s Pharmacy in Palmerton, Pa.  In 1961, he moved with his wife and family to Slatington and took over Moyer’s Drugstore in Slatington.  He opened a larger pharmacy in 1971 just a few doors down from Moyer’s under his own name, Bechtel’s Pharmacy.
As the only pharmacist serving the Northern Lehigh area for many years, Bechtel served the health care needs of generations of local families and earned a reputation for service by providing prescription home delivery, medication education, and emergency services.  While he retired as a full-time pharmacist in 1998, he continued to provide consulting services to the pharmacy until his death.
“Being a pharmacist was a true vocation for my dad.  He never lost sight that the mission of the pharmacy was to serve the community,” said Bechtel’s eldest son Edward, who now works as the store’s primary pharmacist and co-manager.  “As a kid, I remember him getting calls in the middle of the night from frantic parents looking for medication for a sick child.  He never hesitated to get out of bed to meet the parents at the store.  The eight of us didn’t have to look far to find a role model.”
Beginning in 1972, Bechtel also served in key roles managing Northern Lehigh Bancorp and its subsidiary Citizens National Bank of Slatington until the bank merged with Harleysville National Bank in 2004.   From 1986 to 1999, he served as the bank’s president and board chairman and successfully navigated the bank’s operations during a period of remarkable change in the banking industry, as new regulations permitted the consolidation of many small community banks.  He believed that the bank could not only help its customers safeguard and manage their savings but create opportunities for those who wanted to start a business or establish roots in the community through a home purchase.
“My father always appreciated the critical role that Slatington’s banks played in his life, particularly the risks taken in issuing him loans for his home and the pharmacy,” said Jack Bechtel, the pharmacy’s business manager.  “As a banker, he wanted to help others realize their dreams.”
Always active in civic activities, Bechtel was a member of the Northern Lehigh Jaycees, the Slatington Community Ambulance, the Rotary Club of Slatington, the Northern Lehigh School District Advisory Board, the Assumption BVM Roman Catholic Church, the Horsehead Community Foundation, and the Serra Club of Allentown.  His professional affiliations included National Community Pharmacists Association, American Pharmaceutical Association, Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association and Lehigh Valley Pharmaceutical Association.
As a member of the Rotary Club, Bechtel spearheaded efforts to establish an annual Christmas basketball tournament in 1982.  He continued to play a role in the charity event for more than 30 years.
During the 1970s, Bechtel’s community service extended into politics after he won the election to the Slatington borough council.  He served a total of eight years on the council, including a term as the council president.  In that role, he briefly acted as the town’s mayor, after the unexpected death of the incumbent.  
His civic contributions have been recognized by several organizations with awards including: citations as “Man of the Year” by the Jaycees (1976) and Rotary Club (1988); Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association Bowl of Hygeia Award for Community Service (1995); Slatington Ambulance Service Award (1998); Rotary Club’s Lifetime Service Award (1999); Lehigh Valley Pharmaceutical Association Lifetime Service Award (1999); and the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce Spirit Award (2000).
In addition to his wife Elizabeth and sons Edward (Louise) and Jack (JoAnn), Bechtel is survived by his daughters Joann McCracken (Julian) and Mary Surdovel and his sons Joseph (Diane), James (Kathy) and Leonard (Max Aguilar).  He was predeceased by his son, Bernard, in 2015.  He also leaves behind 22 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Assumption BVM Church in Slatington, the Slatington Library or the Northern Lehigh Food Bank.  
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11AM on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at Assumption BVM Catholic Church, 649 W. Washington Street, Slatington.  Family and friends are invited to pay their respects on Tuesday, May 7 from 6 to 8PM at Harding Funeral Home, 25-27 N. Second St, Slatington and from 10 to 11AM Wednesday at church.   Interment will be private.