Eugene Leo Tihansky, 92, of Bethlehem, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Born in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, Eugene lived a long and accomplished life defined by his devotion to his family, an exceptional work ethic, a true engineer's curiosity, and a lifelong appreciation for working with his hands and spending time outdoors.

As a young man, Eugene proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a radio operator aboard the USS Forrest Sherman. Following his military service, he attended Penn State University where he received an associate's degree in Drafting. After being married he put himself through school to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lafayette College. His three young children attended his graduation.

Eugene began his professional career as a draftsman with Western Electric before joining Bethlehem Steel as a young Looper (a renowned management program). He ultimately led the Electroslag Refining division, applying the technical knowledge, ingenuity and problem-solving skills that characterized him throughout his life and earned him three patents for Bethlehem Steel. Eugene always possessed a creative artistic vision and innate sense of balance, proportion and purpose. All of which contributed to his three innovative patents, as well as the company's progress. He later completed his career at Lehigh Heavy Forge at the age of 82.

Eugene was married for 62 years to the love of his life, Beverly Anne Tihansky, who preceded him in death. Together, they built a life centered around their family.

Quiet and reserved by nature, Eugene had a dry sense of humor that drew people to him. When his children were young, he enjoyed telling jokes around the dinner table and rarely needed to raise his voice to make himself heard. While he could be a strict and disciplined father, his grandchildren came to know a particularly gentle and patient side of him.

An engineer by both education and temperament, Eugene was endlessly curious about how things worked. He grew up working at his father's garage in Macadoo, thus developing a lifelong knowledge and love of cars. Macadoo also instilled a passion for football, as he was the right guard for his high school team. In addition, Eugene deeply loved the artistry and peace of fly fishing as well as the solitude and craftsmanship of carving duck decoys.

Above all, Eugene will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His was a life of quiet accomplishment, marked by service to country, pride in work, curiosity about the world around him, and an enduring commitment to family. His family now takes comfort in knowing that, after nearly four years apart, Eugene and Beverly are together again.

Eugene is survived by his children, Kathy Betteridge and her husband, Jeff, Kim Sabo and her husband, Robert, and Chris Tihansky and his wife, Glynnis; and his grandchildren, Tyler Betteridge and his fiancée, Sarah, Drew Betteridge and his wife, Haley, Kayla Sabo, Ande Sabo, Scout Sabo, Jake Tihansky, Calmen Tihansky, and Margaret Tihansky.

Services for Eugene will be held at a later date at the convenience of his family. Eugene's arrangements have been entrusted to the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, Bethlehem. A memory tribute may be placed at www.cantelmifuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Eugene Tihansky to the Eugene Tihansky '70 Annual Scholarship Fund at Lafayette College, 730 High St, Easton, PA 18042 or online at Eugene Tihansky '70 Annual Scholarship Fund Lafayette College .