Dr. Gary W. Nalavany

Dr. Gary Nalavany, 71, of Hanover, passed away blissfully on Thursday, January 1, 2026 at UPMC Hanover.

Born on Sunday, August 15, 1954 in Linden, NJ, he was a son of the late John and Mary (Derenick) Nalavany. Dr. Nalavany received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Physics from Kean College in Union, NJ and later graduated from St. George’s School of Medicine in Grenada. He had a great passion for being an anesthesiologist and had practiced at Hanover Hospital and UPMC Hanover for many years. He attended the Agape Christian Fellowship in Fayetteville and enjoyed building model airplanes, fishing, boating, cooking, tinkering with anything mechanical and many other activities just because he loved to stay busy.

Survivors include two children, Sarah Nalavany and her husband Andrew, and Ivan Nalavany; his significant other, Reyna Sanchez; and a brother, Jack Nalavany and his wife, Minnie. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his sister, Cindy.

The funeral will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, January 9, 2026 at the Hanover First Church of God, 600 Fairview Drive in Hanover with The Rev. Michael Rodriguez officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Olivet Cemetery. The family will receive friends at viewings to be held from 6 to 8:00 PM Thursday at Panebaker Funeral Home & Cremation Care Center, Inc., 311 Broadway in Hanover and at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 AM prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network by visiting pancan.org