Man killed in O'Hara tree accident remembered for his work ethic, love of life

Adam Hursen took such pride in his work, he sometimes took it home with him.

The arborist at Treemasters in Pittsburgh was known to bring wood home from the trees he cut down and make furniture out of it.

“He would take a slab of wood and make a coffee table out of it,” his older brother, Mike Hursen, said. “He would take a sander and sand it down, and then he would put a polyurethane on it. Some of them, he would leave the bark around the edges.”

Adam Hursen, 33, of Shaler was killed Monday when a tree fell on him while he was doing trimming work in O’Hara.

His family remembered him as a fun-loving practical joker who rode a Harley-Davidson motorcycle and loved dogs.

“His work ethic and tenacity were unmatched,” said his father, Edward Hursen. “The luckiest people in the world were anybody he came in contact with.”

He was also known for his sense of humor, said Hursen’s mother, Kim Muenz.

“He loved life. He lit up a room with his smile,” she said. “He liked to scare people. Just jump up behind them and scare the pants off of them and record it. He did that to everybody.”

Hursen died about 10:45 a.m. as he was working at a home on Marberry Drive in O’Hara, according to Allegheny County police. As crews removed one of the trees, it fell unexpectedly onto another tree. That second tree fell on Hursen, who was standing about 40 feet away.

“He loved his job,” Muenz said. “He loved being an arborist.”

This past winter, Hursen was bitten by the acting bug and ended up being cast as an extra for a scene in Seth Rogen’s “Pickle” movie being shot in the Pittsburgh area.

In addition to his mother, father and brother, Hursen survivors include his sister, Brittany (Jeffrey) Hursen-Turko; daughter Ayla Marie; girlfriend Rebekah Murphy; a nephew, Darren; and two nieces, Elliot and Evelyn.

Friends will be received from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Bock Funeral Home, 1500 Mt. Royal Blvd., Glenshaw. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday in Allison Park Church, Hampton.

Paul Guggenheimer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-226-7706 or by email at pguggenheimer@tribweb.com.