Leetsdale to install memorial benches for 2 helpful residents

Leetsdale officials plan to install benches at borough parks this spring in memory of two kind souls.

A bench in memory of volunteer election worker Brian Tarasi will be placed at Kohlmeyer Park, and one in memory of avid gardener and beloved decorator Jennine DeGori will sit at Henle Park.

Their names will be etched on plaques along with a thoughtful message.

Both benches received council approval with Tarasi’s bench authorized in November and DeGori’s being voted on in February. They are being purchased through the Antiquarian Shop in Sewickley for about $700 each.

Mayor Sandra Ford said Tarasi and DeGori were well-known in the community and deserve the recognition.

“We typically do (memorials) for longtime residents of Leetsdale and somebody that made a mark in Leetsdale,” Ford said.

Brian Tarasi

Tarasi grew up in the Quaker Valley area. He attended classes at St. James School and Quaker Valley High School.

He worked for American Airlines for 33 years and had various job titles. He traveled to countless cities and 128 countries during his career.

Tarasi also developed the company’s Chase Training Program for flight attendants. A back injury ended his career.

He helped people in multiple elections as a poll worker at the borough building. He ensured voters knew how to properly fill out their ballots and was ready to answer any questions.

“He was an incredible social person,” said Yvonne Kass, Tarasi’s fiancée and life partner for 20 years. “He had a gift to be able to talk to and with people. He was compassionate and he was humble. He was thoughful and also the biggest jokester. He was my best friend and I fell in love with that man.”

The devoted Catholic died Aug. 26. He was 61.

“His number one love was God,” Kass said. “His faith in God was the most admirable trait. It captured my heart. He was so dedicated and focused on any task that he would tackle, but he was also a hopeless romantic.”

Councilman James DeGori proposed the memorial bench for his friend and fellow Washington Street resident.

“He was a big advocate for the street when they built Rize (Sports),” DeGori said. “There was a lot of trouble with that with the residents because of the lights and the privacy, and the sound of the air conditioner, and all that.

“He was a big advocate to help the residents and (made sure) it ran smoothly and they did what they were supposed to do. He wasn’t against the development. He just wanted certain things like the lighting not to shine on the houses.”

Rize Sports, a multi-million-dollar, four-court basketball facility just off Ohio River Boulevard in Leetsdale, was constructed in 2023.

It has since hosted numerous events including a clinic with Arkansas men’s basketball coach and Moon Township native John Calipari.

Kass said she was brought to tears when DeGori told her about the project.

“It was so touching to think he was that missed by people,” said Kass, who was supposed to marry Tarasi in December.

“It does make me cry. … He had a heart to give. He had wisdom give and he had his ear to offer to anyone who wanted to share their story. Anyone who needed somebody to listen.”

Tarasi is survived Kass, and his three surviving pets, who he called his “daughters”; his mother, Patsy, and many other relatives.

Jennine DeGori

Jennine DeGori was a Leetsdale resident for at least 20 years and a lifelong borough property owner.

The family owns the plaza with the car wash and the building housing the district judge’s office along Ohio River Boulevard.

DeGori died at UPMC Shadyside hospital on Jan. 22. She was 69.

“Mainly, she’s helped anybody who was in need as far as the elderly,” said her son, James. “She’s always wanted to make things better in the community.”

The borough’s garden club awarded DeGori’s vegetation creations Garden of the Year three times and recognized as having best decorations for Christmas last year.

Ford recalled when DeGori bought a turkey for a family helped by the borough’s food pantry.

“She helped a lot of people out,” the mayor said. “She had a very big heart.”

DeGori was also a huge New York Yankees fan, loved to travel and was passionate about her family.

She frequently brought her grandchildren to Henle Park. Her memorial bench was Ford’s idea.

“I’m honored that the mayor thought of her in that way,” James DeGori said. “I’m happy because her grandkids are going to be able to see the bench at the park and sit on the bench and remember her.”

Jennine DeGori is survived by her husband of 45 years, James DeGori, son, James (Megan) DeGori, daughter Adrian (John Napoli) DeGori and other relatives.

There are only a few memorial benches in the borough, though there are multiple memorial markers in the borough parks.