Copeland Funeral Home Remembers Former Director

Longtime funeral director is remembered as loving father, dedicated professional.

Raymond Dixon Copeland Jr., longtime funeral director and former owner of Copeland Funeral Homes, died on Feb. 15 of complications from Influenza. He was 92.  Copeland served more than 20,000 families in his seven-decade long mortuary career, according to obituary information provided by the family-operated Copeland Funeral Home.  Copeland opened each of his namesake funeral homes—one on Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis in 1954, another on Brodhead Road in Moon in 1969, and a Sewickley branch on Beaver Street in 1998. The funeral home described him as "a hands-on operator, personally involved and always present for his devoted clients." In 1972, Copeland, who had owned his own ambulance company, served as a founding member of Valley Ambulance …

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Longtime Moon Area Athletic Director Remembered

The late Moon Area High School football coach William Scherer is remembered for his lengthy list of athletic accomplishments.

A former Moon Area High School athletic director and football coach died December 28 in his Moon Township home. He was 87 years old.  William "Rip" Scherer lead Moon's athletic program for two decades, marking just one accomplishment on the retired educator's lengthy career in athletics.  He served as the director of physical education and athletics at Moon Area High School from 1969 to 1991, also coaching the school's varsity football team from 1969 to 1974.  Prior to his career in Moon, the North Side native served as a running back for Penn State during the inaugural Cotton Bowl in 1948. He went on to receive Pittsburgh's Dapper Dan award for outstanding achievment in 1959 and began his coaching career at Millvale, Norwin, North …

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Pittsburgh Airport Chamber of Commerce Remembers Late President Haas

Chamber officials issue a statement on the death of the organization's president, Sally Haas.

The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce released the following statement regarding the death of president and CEO Sally Haas.  MOON TOWNSHIP, PA—The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce announces with deep sorrow the passing of its CEO and President, Sally Haas, unexpectedly on December 27, 2012 at the age of 58. Haas started with the Chamber in March, 1998 as its Membership Director, becoming President and CEO in October, 1998. During her time as President, the Chamber grew from 800 members to the current 1,100 members. Haas’ work touched so many aspects of the airport community, focusing not just on the business members, but on other areas of the community that affected those businesses. Haas teamed with the 911th and 99th…

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Sally Haas Remembered as Business, Military Community Leader

Sally Haas, president of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, died unexpectedly Dec. 27. Friends and colleagues praise her leadership.

Chip Holsworth, president of the Military Affairs Coalition of Western Pennsylvania, said the local military advocacy group will have to search "far and wide" to find another leader like Sally Haas.  Haas, president of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce and co-chair of its military coalition, died unexpectedly Thursday following surgery for an undisclosed condition. She was 58.  A fixture at coalition meetings and Moon military community events, Haas was tireless in her efforts to stave off a potential closure of the 911th Airlift Wing in Moon, Holsworth said.  "She was our most active member," Holsworth said. "It's an incredible loss." Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, who spoke Friday morning at the 911th, offered a moment of …

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Around the Rivers

Family of Mauling Victim Asks for Toy Construction Trucks for Charity

Trucks can be donated now at Slater Funeral Service in Scott Township OR at Maddox Derkosh's funeral Mass Friday at St. Bernard Church in Mt. Lebanon.

The Derkosh family of Whitehall Borough is asking that interested parties, in lieu of flowers, give toy construction trucks to be donated to a children's Christmas charity in the memory of 2-year old Maddox Derkosh, who died tragically at the Pittsburgh Zoo on Sunday. The trucks are being accepted now at William Slater II Funeral Service in Scott Township. They will also be accepted at Derkosh's funeral Mass at St. Bernard Church in Mt. Lebanon at 10 a.m. on Friday. Friends will be welcomed for a viewing of Maddox at Slater Funeral Service from 2 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, according to Maddox's obituary on the funeral service's website. Trucks can also be dropped off at the Whitehall Police Department lobby throughout Wednesday. Maddox was …

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J. Evans Rose, Jr., Prominent Republican and Former Sewickley Heights Council President

Rose was involved in Republican politics in Pennsylvania, including serving as a close adviser to former Governor Richard Thornburgh and as state finance co-chairman in 2004 for Bush-Cheney.

J. Evans Rose, Jr. of Sewickley passed away Friday, July 20 at Villa St. Joseph, Baden. He was 80. Rose was a well-known fundraiser and strategist in local, state and national Republican circles as well as an attorney and former president of Sewickley Heights Council. He was a longtime adviser to Richard Thornburgh, the former governor of Pennsylvana and U.S. Attorney General.  “Although he never ran for or held statewide office, Evans Rose was a giant in Pennsylvania Republican politics during the last 50 years," said Thornburgh, of Rosslyn Farms. "He was well-connected in Pennsylvania legal, business, political and civic circles, with a wide range of friends and admirers across the state.” He is the beloved husband of Patricia Rose and …

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Obituaries: Charter Member of St. Margaret Mary Remembered

Patch features a weekly listing of local obituaries as provided by Copeland and Huntsman funeral homes in Moon and McDermott Funeral Home in Robinson.

Frank R. Colangelo Frank R. Colonel, 82, of Moon Township, died Friday, June 15. He was born in Aliquippa on July 10, 1929. He was the owner of Aliquippa Auto Parts. Colangelo was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. Colangelo was preceded in death by his wife Gladys in 2006, whom he was married to for 54 years. Daughters Valerie, Virginia and Franki as well as four grandchildren and three grandchildren survive him. Services were conducted earlier this month through Huntsman Funeral Home. Memorial contributions can be sent to the Rochester Villa Activities Fund, based in Rochester, PA.   Dorothy L. Best Babilon Dorothy L. Best Babilon, 91, of Moon Township, died June 17 at Allegheny General Hospital. She was born in …

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Funeral Services Planned for Montour Grad Killed in Shooting

Services will be held at McDermott Funeral Home.

Funeral services for the Montour High School graduate shot to death Monday in Kennedy Township will be held Saturday at St. Malachy Church on Forest Grove Road. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at McDermott Funeral Home, also located on Forest Grove Road, according to the funeral home. Funeral prayers will be offered at 9:30 a.m. Saturday followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Malachy. Coyner, who graduated from Montour in 2010 and played for the school’s football team, was a student at Slippery Rock University. His parents Richard and Renee Coyner and brother Shane, as well as grandparents Frank and Beverly Henry and Harry R. Coyner, survive him, according to obituary …

Obituaries: Moon Alum, World War II Vets Remembered

Patch features a listing of recent obituaries as provided by Copeland Funeral Home and Huntsman Funeral Home in Moon Township and McDermott Funeral Home in Robinson.

James Joseph Doolan James Joseph Doolan, 88, of Moon Township, died June 8. Born Feb. 27, 1924 in Ohio, he was married to Lois Kretovics Doolan for 64 years and was the father of Daniel Doolan, Patrick Doolan, Mary Lou Altfather, Jay Doolan, Constance Guillen, Jennifer Bafile, Kathleen Morris, Wendy Doolan and Sean Doolan and the grandfather of many grandchildren. Doolan was a Navy veteran of World War II and a retired operations manager for United Airlines as well as a member of the Coraopolis VFW Post 402 and parishioner at St. Margaret Mary Church. Services were conducted earlier this month at St. Margaret Mary, including military honors.   Albert A. Peroni Albert A. Peroni, 86, of Moon Township, died June 7. He was born Aug. 19, 1925 …

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Shop Owner Maggio Remembered as Dedicated to Family, Friends

Services will be held this week for the owner of Moon's Consignment Cottage and Robinson's ecoChic stores.

Services will be held tonight at Copeland Funeral Home in Moon for Jean Maggio, the owner of the Consignment Cottage and ecoChic boutiques.  Maggio, 71, died June 8 following a stroke, according to an email distributed to store customers. She owned the stores with her daughter Terry Chesky.  Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Copeland Funeral Home on Brodhead Road. Prayers will be recited at 8:45 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, followed a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's Church in Coraopolis.  Maggio, who was born in Bend, Indiana, has owned the Moon Clinton Road shop since 1992, according to her obituary information. She was married to her husband Vince for 52 years. …

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