Family and friends remember longtime president of Butler health center
Volunteers at the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center and others in the community are mourning the loss of longtime president David Konesni, who passed away Jan. 26 after a five-year battle with ALS.
He dedicated much of his life to community service, spending time as a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts, chairman of the Butler County General Authority and longtime president of the health center.
“He was a giving man, a kind man and a fair man,” Lisa Konesni, David’s widow, said. “He was strong and quiet, and he never complained.”
David Konesni graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1971 and began service in the United States Army Reserve afterward. He was honorably discharged at the rank of captain in 1979.
According to his obituary, he married his wife in Slippery Rock Park on Aug. 5, 1977.
Lisa Konesni attributed a happy 47-year marriage to the fact that they were best friends before falling in love.
“It might sound cheesy, but he was my best friend,” she said. “We could share anything with each other.”
Lisa Konesni noted that dogs and children would gravitate to him, something she took as a positive sign of his character. She said he would make friends easily and keep them for the rest of his life.
“When we would go to parties, I would go around and talk to a lot of different people,” she said. “He would find a few people and become friends with them.”
David Konesni worked at Nicholas Enterprises Inc., where he served as president and CEO starting in 1998.
He became involved with the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center shortly after its founding and became president of the board of directors.
“His perseverance and good business sense helped the clinic become financially stable at the beginning,” Jim Cunningham, vice president of the board of directors at the center, said. “He was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.”
Even after his diagnosis, he remained steadily involved in the board’s activities as president emeritus. According to executive director Kimberly Reamer, he would request meeting minutes even when unable to attend in person.
“He wanted to make sure people without insurance were treated with respect,” Reamer said. “He wanted to make the city better.”
Brother in-law Joshua Nicholas helped take care of David Konesni during his battle with ALS. Nicholas recalled a cherished memory of catching him humming to himself, even after he had lost the ability to speak, to keep himself in good spirits.
“David’s heart was bigger than big,” Nicholas said. “He was more than a brother in-law to me. He was my brother.”
According to Konesni’s obituary, following his wishes, there will be no traditional services. He asked those who wish to commemorate him to donate to the Jean B. Purvis Community Health Center or the ALS Association of Western Pennsylvania.
