Late Monessen councilman put service above self
Colleagues, friends and family are saluting the life and accomplishments of Monessen councilman Ronald F. Chiaravalle, who died last Monday at Monongahela Valley Hospital.
Chiaravalle, 70, who was serving his third year as a member of city council, was remembered as a faithful public servant by Monessen Mayor Matt Shorraw.
“Councilman Chiaravalle’s tenacity and determination will be a part of his legacy,” said Shorraw. “It’s no easy feat to be involved in public office. I commend him for his willingness to serve the City of Monessen. Councilman Chiaravalle will be greatly missed by many people.”
Chiaravalle, a 1965 graduate of Monessen High School, served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam Conflict before returning to the Mon Valley. He worked at U.S. Steel Clairton Works, Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Rail Mill, South Hills Village, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, EquiTrans and Columbia Gas. Chiaravalle also owned and operated several businesses, including Chiaravalle’s HVAC and Chiaravalle’s Pizza.
Besides serving on the Monessen council, Chiaravalle served for two terms on the Monessen school board.
Monessen Councilman Anthony Orzechowski said Chiaravalle taught him some important lessons about public service.
“Ron cared about the city deeply,” said Orzechowski. “He wasn’t concerned about politics. Rather, he was a champion for the taxpayers of Monessen. Ron watched every dime that was spent. He was the main reason why the city came out where it’s at right now. We were going down the tubes and he helped us to get a little bit ahead financially. Ron knew who he had to go to get things done, even if they were on a different side. Ron was a prized mentor and I tried to learn as much as could from him. This is a great loss for the City of Monessen.”
Chiaravalle also made a deep impression upon Monessen Councilman David Feehan.
“I recently had the privilege of meeting Ron before I joined the council this past year,” said Feehan. “We hit it off right away because he was a Navy vet and I’m a Marine Corps vet. We quickly forged a bond. Ron took me under his wing and showed me how city government works. He would do anything for you. Ron was a tremendous mentor and a great guy. I will really miss him.”
Chiaravalle is survived by his wife, Marcia Perry Chiaravalle; daughters, Dawn Isabella, Tina O’Dell and Nicole Holmes; son, Ronald Chiaravalle Jr.; and “surrogate son,” Shawn Perry.
“When my dad did things, whether it was for the community or his family, it wasn’t about him,” recalled Holmes. “He never wanted to be the center of attention. His main concern was about who he was helping. No matter what time of day you called him, my father would come over right away to lend a helping hand.”
Holmes added that her father never turned down an opportunity to roll up his sleeves and give back to the community.
“My dad wasn’t afraid of doing the hard work behind the scenes,” she said. “A good example is his work with the Monessen farmer’s market. He wasn’t there just to smile and shake hands. My dad arrived early to help set things up, and he would stay for hours to make sure everything was running smoothly. He was truly a caring person.”