By TAYLOR BROWN
Tim Kegel was a true family man, an avid Pittsburgh Pirates fan and a civil servant.
Kegel, 63, passed away unexpectedly Saturday at his home.
A long-time funeral director in the Mon Valley as the supervisor of Kegel Funeral Home Inc. in Finleyville, he spent his life caring for others during their darkest days, whether it be leading a funeral service, consoling a grieving family or showing up to the scene of a house fire.
A licensed funeral director since February 1990, Kegel worked for his predecessor, Walter L. Kennedy, before purchasing the funeral home in July 1999.
His son, David, now serves as director of the funeral home and will carry on his father’s legacy.
Before purchasing the business, Kegel was asked by his friend, Timothy Warco, to serve as deputy coroner in Washington County.
Warco and Kegel worked together for nearly 30 years.
“He was like a brother to me,” Warco said. “When I was elected coroner, I asked him to come on board, and asked Mr. Kennedy at that time if it would be OK, and he gave his blessing and the rest was history. We went on nearly every call together for 28 years. He was more than my deputy, he was my friend and he was my right hand.”
It was a demanding position — often Warco and Kegel spent more time together than at home with their families — but it left them with a lasting bond on and off the clock.
“I could not begin to count the number of calls we went on together over the years,” Warco said. “But 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, that is a lot of time.”
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