Lawrence E. Kumpf – New Eagle

Lawrence E. Kumpf left our lives to be with the Lord, March 2, 2022. He was born July 5, 1930, as a streetwise, rough and tumble Bloomfield boy, the son of Elizabeth-Tyson and Lester Kumpf. His mother’s illness left he and his beloved brother, Howie, to be raised until the eighth grade by the loving nuns and priests of The Toner Institute Boy’s Home in Brookline, Pa. Although earning a prestigious military academy scholarship, he chose a more difficult path to success. He was a proud veteran of the armed forces during the Korean War in the 2nd division and then became a master brick mason at the Homestead Steel Works that bestowed upon him numerous awards for the development of mechanical improvements. A 9 to 5 job was not an end all for him, as his entrepreneurial spirit took him to be known by many as “The Christmas Tree Man” by becoming a part of so many a family’s holiday spirit, from customers to years of young area boys working their first job under his watchful eyes. This helped lead him to real estate ventures and a long running successful local business The Twist, which also provided him with a slew of memories and friends from customers to hundreds of employees. Everyone had some connection to The Twist through his vision. Beyond his love of the water and swimming, which brought him to the Mon Valley by meeting his wife, Ruth, at Mineral Beach, he also was an avid talented water skier and a member of the Monongahela Boat Club, leading to many lifelong friends. But work was to be his true best friend, with most people’s memories of him being in his red dump truck hauling stone or tarring the roof of one of his properties. Only the joy of time with his granddaughters could surpass his work ethic. From running the streets of Pittsburgh where nobody cared to know his name, to a one-of-a-kind local that everyone knew, his was a life well lived. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Kumpf; a son, Scott Kumpf; daughter, Sherri (Arturo) Vizzuett; granddaughters, Isabella and Olivia; as well as sisters, Joann Allen, Karen Grobelski, Janet Campbel; brother, Robert Grobelski; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Howard and Bernard Kumpf; and sisters, Elizabeth Grobelski, Dolly Celender, Audrey Wagner and Donna Mosso. A private Christian Mass and memorial will be held at a later date with interment in Allegheny Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the WILLIAM R. TAYLOR FUNERAL HOME, Monessen.