Dr. Edward S. Polashenski, D.O.

Edward S. Polashenski, D.O., age 71, passed away surrounded by his loving family at his home in Drums, PA at 5AM Friday morning, August 8, 2025 following a long illness.

Born in Hazleton, July 11, 1954, he was the son of the late Albert and Mary (Kraska) Polashenski. Ed was lucky to have 4 unique brothers, Walter, Peter, Henry, and Danny that he's shared a journey through life with. Aside from his schooling, he lived his entire life in Drums; marrying, building a home, practicing medicine, and raising his three sons with great joy, a mile and half from where he grew up.

Ed met the love of his life, Jessica Bixler Polashenski, in Drums when chance had her family move in right across the street in 1971. They were inseparable, married June 24, 1978, and were the most solid of teams for over 53 years. They were fortunate enough to have and raise three loving sons; Andrew, Christopher, and David, who together with Jessica were Ed's companions throughout life. While Ed would say his life was devoted to hunting, fishing, gardening, and the outdoors, it would be more truthful to say he devoted himself entirely to his family, as he invariably shared these activities with his family.

Ed graduated from Hazleton Area High School in 1972, went on to Syracuse University, earning tuition money in summers working at the Spalding Bakery. He earned a B.S. in 1976 and enrolled in medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine while Jessica taught elementary school and lifeguarded. Graduating in 1980, the newly minted "Doc P" (as he would later be known to everyone at Hazleton's hospitals) went on to residency at Suburban General Hospital in Norristown, PA, was board certified in internal medicine, served as chief resident, and trained in his medical specialty, gastroenterology. Doc returned to Hazleton and set up a practice in internal medicine and gastroenterology in 1985, building an office on 14th Street, where he was later joined by partners Dr. Bobby Yamulla and Dr. Steve Shoemaker. During 38 years of practice before retiring in 2023 he treated thousands of people. He took many, many late night calls over the years, and carried out "impromptu patient consultations" in every store and restaurant in town. Jessica, his wife, would try to shield him from view when they went out to eat by placing him in the furthest corner of the restaurant, facing the wall, so that they could hopefully avoid being approached for the finer points of a gastroenterology consultation until the meal was at least mostly finished. His staff, who supported him at his practice for many years, were like family to him and he was deeply grateful for all they did and for their friendship. In 2002, Doc P was given the honor of being inducted as a fellow into the College of Osteopathic Medicine for his outstanding work.

Despite a very busy practice, hunting and fishing remained dear to Ed. He frequented the same local honeyholes of his childhood with his brothers all his life, made time every Saturday throughout hunting season to take his sons out, and traveled widely on hunting and fishing trips. Ed was privileged to be a member at Saw Creek Hunting and Fishing Association in Marshalls Creek, PA since 1992. There he taught his sons to share his passion for hunting and fishing and helped with many improvements at the club, particularly planting food plots and trees. He was honored to be chair of the board on 2 occasions and has many, many fond memories of hunting with his sons at Saw Creek like the time Andrew almost stepped on a bear in its den while grouse hunting ("D..D..DAD there's a bear over here!") or the many years of his sons and later granddaughters racing each other across the frozen lake to check ice fishing tip-ups.

While fall was for hunting, every season was for family. Vacations were family vacations. Together with Jessica, his sons, and a car stuffed with far more things than were ever required, they traveled to most of the state parks in PA when Andrew and Christopher were young, followed by most of the national parks as the family got more mobile. Ed's sons all continue this travel with their families now, hauling their own carloads of noisemakers, balloons, fishing rods and untold extraneous stuff, often greatly augmented in volume, courtesy of a grandpa they will miss dearly.

Outside of hunting and traveling, Ed had a passion for working on his property, a disposition that likely came from his parents' efforts to use every square inch of their one-acre lot to grow something for sale. He and his family lived since 1991 on a 50-acre farm off Butler Drive bought from the Bertolini family in 1987, where the Weavers, Rizzos, Lescowitches and others built a home he and Jessica designed. At the property, dubbed Sunset Haven by Jessica for its views of the sun setting over Sugarloaf Mountain, he set about a 34-year project of tree planting, gardening, lawn improving, and generally seeking to expand his landscaping to the property boundaries. To meet his ambitions, untold tractor-trailers full of bark mulch were spread, hundreds of trees planted (and quite a few cut down), dump truck loads of rocks picked, irrational quantities of firewood split, and a garden was planted dozens of times larger than the family's diet required. Thankfully, living just across the valley from his mother, Mary - who had long sold vegetables - allowed his sons to market the excess produce and to grow close with her along the way. Later Jessica would cut flowers from the gardens by the car-full to spread cheer across the area. And he was pretty happy on a lawn mower, keeping a solid 8 acres of his property neatly mowed. Along the way, he taught his sons to build things like dog kennels, bird pens, and garage shelves, and above all to work hard. Facsimiles of many of his (once derided) projects appeared quietly on the sons' own properties as they've grown, giving him plenty of pride (and just a little I-told-you-so). Trees continued to be planted even this year, after the end of the journey was in sight, proving it was always more about the journey than the product to him. And a good journey it was.

Ed wanted everyone to know that he feels extremely fortunate. Life has been very good to him and he has no regrets. He is deeply grateful to all his family, friends, patients, and employees. He also wanted to say that he sincerely apologizes to anyone who he hurt at any time and asks everyone to think about all our good times, be well, tell stories, and take care of each other.

Ed was preceded in death, in addition to his parents, by his brother, Walter Polashenski, and, his sister in law, Lynn Polashenski.

Surviving are his loving wife of 47 years, the former Jessica Bixler to whom he was married on June 24, 1978; three sons, Andrew Polashenski and his wife Kelly, Lockport, NY; Christopher Polashenski and his wife Norah Lake, Norwich, VT; and David Polashenski and his partner Emily Fedders, Fairbanks, AK; five grandchildren, Katelyn, Nicole, Jacquelyn, Fern and Ida Polashenski; three brothers, Peter Polashenski and his wife Ruth, and Henry Polashenski, both of Mt. Top; and Daniel Polashenski, Drums.

Ed was a member of Good Shepherd RC Church, Drums. His funeral will be held Wednesday, August 13, 2025 at 9:30 AM from Harman Funeral Homes & Crematory, Inc. (East), 669 W. Butler Dr., Drums, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 AM in Good Shepherd RC Church, 87 S. Hunter Hwy., Drums. Burial will follow in Calvary RC Cemetery, Drums. Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday evening, August 12, 2025, from 6 to 8 PM.

Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Good Shepherd Church, earmarked for the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen Dinners Fund. Online condolences can be entered, and more information is available at www.harmanfuneral.com.