A longtime chairman of the Indiana County Municipal Services Authority and regional manager for Verizon communications passed away on Wednesday.
Robert W. Kunkle died while at Excela Health Hospital in Latrobe. Born in Indiana in 1932, Kunkle would graduate from Indiana High School in 1951 and earn an associate’s degree from Pitt. He would serve in the army for 21 years, retiring with the rank of Captain and serving during the Korean War.
Kunkle would help form the Indiana County Municipal Services Authority in 1973 and serve as its first chairman, a position he would hold for 43 years. Michael Duffalo, former executive director for the municipal authority, worked with Kunkle during that time and talked about how optimistic he was.
He would also serve as the regional manager for Bell of Pennsylvania, the predecessor of Verizon for 42 years.
He was also active in the political scene, as he was the chairman of the Indiana County Republican Party for 15 years and was president of the Indiana County Young Republican Men’s Club. He was also a former president of the United Way, and was district chairman of the Chestnut Ridge District of the Boy Scouts, and also served the scouts as the chairman of Camp Seph Mack.
Kunkle passed away at the age of 88.
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