Dennis J. Manganello

Dennis J. Manganello, 74, of Beaver, packed up his Chevrolet Corvette and drove off into the horizon on Tuesday January 22, 2019.

If you had a chance to sit with him before he left, you probably did so on some barstool, sharing a cheeseburger, coke and some ice cream. I’m sure the conversation was easy and modest. Yes, he could have told you about serving his country as a sergeant in the army stationed in Germany during Vietnam. Yes, he could have told you about following his dreams to be an entrepreneur and how he owned and operated Denny’s superette for 20 years or how he built Thursday’s restaurant in 1984. But more than likely he shared his true passion, being a father to Dennis (Karyn) and Jeffrey and a grandfather to Jayden and Vincent. He probably told you about never missing his boys hockey games. He definitely joked about the time he jumped out of a moving golf cart because his son saw a pretty girl and didn’t want to be embarrassed by having his dad around. He told you about how he named his restaurant after the day his twin babies were born. He sheepishly confided in you about how those same twin babies at age 12 would steal and joy ride the family cars but he knew and how yes it was him that started a small forest fire on sixth street so his sons could see fireworks. Then, with a big grin, while adjusting his ever present ball cap, he would have shared how holding his grandkids for the first time made him feel complete. He would have finished by telling you how his family made him more successful than any other accomplishments in his life. As he got up to leave your sit down, having definitely paid the bill, he would have made sure you noticed his mid life crisis tattoo on his ankle, that he promised was a scorpion and not a lobster!

So let’s get together and say “good-bye for now” on Sunday January 27 2019 from 2p-4p and 6p-8p in the Noll funeral home 333 Third Street,Beaver Pa 15009. Then “yes dad” put on ties for a mass of Christian burial celebrated by Fr. Robert Miller Monday, January 28, 2019 at 10 a.m. at Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, Beaver. Entombment will follow at the Beaver Cemetery Mausoleum. Online condolences may be shared at nollfuneral.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Dennis’ name may be made to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.