Joanne Honka

Our mother, Joanne Hajdasz Honka, passed away at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown on July 19th, 2025, with us, her children, by her side.

She was born on November 23rd, 1943, to Joseph and Helen Orlowski Hajdasz in Utica, NY. She attended school in Utica. Meeting at the Polish Community Club on Jay Street in Utica, she married Werner “Fred” Honka in September of 1966, and they settled in Herkimer.

Loving the outdoors, Joanne excelled at gardening, often receiving compliments on her immaculate yard. Visitors would get lessons on what birds or wildlife were visiting. Fishing with her brother and sister on the St. Lawrence River was her most loved time spent. Bingo was always a good time with Joanne and her sister. Never idle, Joanne worked at several jobs throughout the years including school bus driver for Herkimer and Frankfort/Schuyler, Remington Arms, Smith Packing, and Abelove’s Laundry.

Being of Polish and Ukrainian descent, her cooking skills were unmatched; she could make a fabulous dinner out of just about anything, and no one left her home hungry.

Besides her parents and husband, she was predeceased by her sister and brother-in-law Linda and Richard Colle, and her twin brother Joseph Hajdasz, Jr.

She was generous to her children and grandchildren and was always there for them. She leaves behind two daughters: Charlene (Mike) Miller of Herkimer, and Christine Honka (Tom Noffer) of Frankfort; and son Ronald (Ana) Honka, Sr., of Herkimer. She was exceedingly proud of her three grandsons: Mark (Katherine) Murdock, Michael (Laura) Murdock, and Ronald Honka, Jr; and her step-grandchildren: Mayra (Anthony) Colon and Christopher (Joelle) Miller. She was always so happy to spend time with her great-grandchildren: Alice and Lyra Murdock, and AJ and Gianna Colon. She leaves two nephews: Richard Colle and Raymond Colle as well as her dear childhood friends Carolyn Taverne and Carol Schmidt. She also leaves her beloved faithful feline, Lottie; so please consider a donation to the Humane Society in her honor.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 26th, 2025, at 12:00 Noon at The Enea Family Funeral Home, 220 North Washington Street in Herkimer, New York with her burial to immediately follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Herkimer, alongside her husband, Fred.

Relatives and friends are invited to join the family at a calling hour at the funeral home on Saturday morning, prior to the funeral service, from 11:00 AM until the time of the funeral service at Noon. Following the funeral and cemetery services, the family will hold a luncheon at Herkimer Polish Community Home, 319 S. Washington St., Herkimer. All are welcome.

Joanne’s obituary will appear in the Utica Observer Dispatch this week and may also be viewed on the funeral home website at www.eneafamily.com on the Internet.

Enea, Ciaccia, & Applegate Funeral Directors (315) 866-1011.