John Verduce

February 14, 1929-November 16, 2024

  John Verduce, age 95, of Ohio Township, passed away on Saturday, November 16, 2024. John was born in Archbald, PA, the son of Rella Julian and Santo Verducci. John was a giver and a doer, and with his “can-do” attitude, he gave 100% of himself to virtually everything that he did. John began his adulthood working for Healey Construction by day and quarterbacking for a local, semi-professional football team at night. When the Korean War commenced, he hung up his cleats and proudly enlisted as a seaman’s recruit in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he became an expert in seamanship and navigation as a Boatsman’s Mate and received the National Defense Service Medal before his honorable discharge in 1959. On discharge, John found his forever home in Ohio Township, where he supported his community by serving as Ohio Township’s Democratic Party Chairman, Legislative Officer, Chairman and Supervisor, and even a member of its’ auxiliary police force. When he wasn’t working, he’d often pack the Township kids into the back of his pick-up truck and drive them to see the Pirates, the Steelers, a little league game out Route 856, or for a “hayride” around town if no sports were playing. In addition to being a model public servant, he was a great “dad” to a lot of kids. John also served the citizens of Allegheny County, working as the County’s Chief Stationary Engineer at North Park; Lead County Engineer; and Manager of Maintenance and Construction, before ultimately retiring as its Deputy Director. He was a proud member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 95. In addition to sports, he also loved to garden, hunt, and fish, and he always had a construction project underway. John married the love of his life, Dolores (Marovelli) in 1950 and they celebrated seventy-four years of marriage together before her death in 2024. He is survived by his sons John Verduce, Jr. (Candace) and Cameron Crandall (Valerie); his daughter Valerie M. Verduce (Cameron); his sister Kathryn “Tootsie” Mancuso; his grandchildren Daniel Christopher (Lorena), Anthony Joseph (Samantha), Julian V. Vissenberg, and Honor V. Crandall; and his great grand-children Bria, Logan, Bryce and Zoey Verduce. At his direction, John and his beloved will be interred at the United States National Cemetery in Canton, Georgia. John and family wish to thank the Butler VA’s Nurse Jodie Love and Dr. Michael Kruczek for their steadfast commitment to keeping him alive as long as he wanted to be.  Donations, in memoriam, may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, the Disabled American Veterans or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Arrangements entrusted to R.D. Copeland Funeral Home, Inc