Stephen M. Belin, 68, of Houtzdale died Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 at UPMC Altoona.
He was born Jan. 5, 1946 in Philipsburg, a son of the late Matthew J. and Mary Jane (Brennan) Belin.
He was an active parishioner of the Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Ramey. He was a Eucharistic Minister of Communion. He chaired and instructed for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the church.
In addition, Mr. Belin served as president of the parish council and as the church’s business manager. He was the technical coordinator liaison for the parish with the Erie Diocese. Mr. Belin served on the Holy Trinity Cemetery Committee and maintained the cemetery burial maps and death and burial records.
He graduated from the Moshannon Valley High School as salutatorian of his class in 1963. In recent years, he organized the class reunions. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Francis University, Loretto in 1967. He went on to receive his Master’s degree in inorganic chemistry from Cornell University.
Mr. Belin worked as a chemist for the Chattem Drug Co. in Chattanooga, TN from 1970 -1972. He then was hired as a teacher for the Moshannon Valley School District in 1972 and retired in 2005 as the technical coordinator.
He taught nearly every science course available throughout his career. He served as president of the local teacher’s union for several years, including serving during the only teachers’ strike in the history of the school in 1988.
Mr. Belin was appointed to the Woodward Township Sewage & Water Authority Board in
January of 1990. He was the only founding member of the board serving; since its conception, he’d served as the secretary/treasurer. Mr. Belin had served a total of 24 years on the board.
He was a member of the Croatian Fraternal Union since boyhood, acting as treasurer of the local branch for some years. He was a volunteer tax aide counselor for the AARP and IRS senior citizens tax aide program since 2011. In 2012, he had served as the technical coordinator for Clearfield County.
Mr. Belin was an enthusiastic gardener, and orchardist. He could barely leave a seed unplanted. He was an avid ornithologist, establishing a birding-watching club in the area in the 1990’s. He served as Clearfield County Coordinator for the Audubon Spring Migratory Bird Count for many years and participated in the Winter Raptor Survey in Clearfield County for several years.
He enjoyed genealogy and providing his family members with stories and photos of their past generations.
On Aug. 19, 1967, in Cleveland, Ohio, he married Mary Ann (Pajcic) Belin, who survives him, along with a sister-in-law, Marcia Muir of DuBois and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his only sibling, Matthew Belin.
Friends will be received from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Kruise Funeral Home Inc., Ramey.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Thursday in Holy Trinity Catholic Church with Fr. Zab Amar as celebrant.
Burial will follow in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery Ramey. Condolences may be sent to: condolences@kruisefuneralhome.com.
Memorial donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy, Pennsylvania Chapter, 2101 N. Front St., Building No. 1, Suite 200, Harrisburg, PA 17110.