David McKivigan, of Butler, an entrepreneur who owned tire shops in Butler County and throughout Western Pennsylvania, and two restaurants in the county, died Friday at the age of 85.

“Dave was a great guy. He was truly a fantastic person,” said his longtime friend Dick Goldinger, a former district attorney in Butler County and father of the current District Attorney Richard Goldinger.

McKivigan had been in the tire business since 1957, according to Jim Young, a longtime employee of the shop and front sales manager.

Goldinger said he took his cars to McKivigan's shop, Butler Tires for Less, for new tires many times over the years.

“He was a spectacular person in my mind. Just a true gentleman,” Goldinger said.

Millie Pinkerton and her late husband Dale, a former county commissioner, were also friends with McKivigan for many years even though they were competitors in the tire business.

“Dale owned Goodyear Tire and Rubber in Butler so we were competitors,” she said.

Her husband and McKivigan used to get together over breakfast once a week, and their families would have dinner together, she said.

“He was just a really nice guy, always a gentleman,” Pinkerton said.

She said he loved his family and missed his wife, Anna Marie, since she died in 2019.

“They were a great couple,” she said.

Young has worked at Butler Tire for 43 years, and said many people stopped in to ask McKivigan for advice of all kinds.

“He was a great teacher and a great leader,” Young said. “He was a very good businessman, he was on the site everyday.”

According to Young, the tire shop employs around 30 to 35 people. At one time, McKivigan owned nine tire shops from Pittsburgh to Erie.

His first store, Tire Center USA, originally sold Mohawk Tires, earning him the nickname “The Chief.” His shop was later named Butler Tire.

The shop burned down in the mid-1980s, Young said, but it was rebuilt as Butler Tire for Less. In addition to his tire shops, he owned warehouses in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Young said McKivigan’s approach to business is what made him successful.

“He was a gentleman that just worked hard at it, that was his life,” Young said. “Dave was a very popular guy with a lot of people. He was great for the community.”

McKivigan also named one of his restaurants, Anna Marie's Winery and Cafe in East Butler, after his wife. He also owned Mac's Route 8 Cafe, which is near the tire shop. Mac’s Cafe opened in 2012, and Anna Marie's Winery and Cafe opened in 2014. Over the years, he owned several other eateries.

Pinkerton said McKivigan also made many donations to the Rotary Club and other causes to support the community.

“He's really going to be missed. I'm, going to miss him,” she said.

McKivigan was a longtime board member of the Butler Redevelopment Authority before recently stepping down. Butler City Councilman Fred Reese, who has known McKivigan and his family for years, served on the Redevelopment Authority with McKivigan.

Reese said McKivigan’s knowledge and personality was a welcome addition to the redevelopment authority, where he helped make a lot of decisions.

“He wouldn't give you his answer right away; he was one of those guys who sat and analyzed it,” he said. "He was just a fantastic guy; you could talk to him for hours.”

McKivigan was also active in the church community.

The Rev. Steven Neff, former pastor of All Saints Parish, St. Paul Roman Catholic Church, in Butler, said McKivigan and his wife supported him while he was moving from assistant pastor to pastor. McKivigan’s business experience shined even in his personal life.

“The first thing was his prayer; he promised that he'd pray for me,” Neff said. “He was trying to teach me to be a shepherd leader; you had to lead with a heart that cared about other people. He tried to do that as a businessman.”

The Rev. Matt McClain, pastor of Saint Clare of Assisi Parish, said McKivigan and his family also attended St. Wendelin Church, and said the whole family was generous.

“Dave is a very quiet man, very generous. He was very generous to us,” McClain said. “His kids are really active in the church and they do a lot of things for us. He was definitely an involved guy.”

Born July 9, 1937, McKivigan worked for many years in arbitration for the Butler Auto Auction.

He was one of the top U.S. distributors for Michelin tires. His affiliation with Michelin allowed him to travel around the world with his wife.

While McKivigan spent time traveling the world, Neff said his true passion was for caring for people in his community.

“He often hurt when he saw people suffering,” Neff said. “It ached his heart, especially if it was anyone in his own family.”

A friend for many years, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-16th, said McKivigan was “one of a kind.”

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Kelly said.

He said that in 2016 when a television network was looking for a place in Butler to talk to voters, he said Mac’s Cafe would be a good choice. "It’s a comfortable place to eat,“ Kelly said. ”They wanted to talk to real people, people just getting off work, retirees.“

“What I think about is: ‘What if there had never been a David McKivigan?’ Kelly said. ”Thank God he was here.“

His obituary is on Page 6.