Aleppo mourns the loss of a township commissioner, welcomes new one

Aleppo is mourning the loss of one of its commissioners while welcoming a new board member to finish his remaining term.

Dan Darragh, who was described as a devoted man of faith and family, died Sept. 2.

Appointed to the board in January 2016 for a two-year term, Darragh was elected to a four-year seat in November 2017 and again in November 2021, when he was the second top vote-getter behind commission President George Jones.

“(He) was a good man, a talented man, a deeply religious man, a friend, a man of strong character who gave his time helping Aleppo Township and will be sorely missed,” Jones said on Sept. 22.

“He was not only a friend, but a tremendous asset.”

Darragh served as Aleppo Township Water Authority chairman and, recently, as authority liaison to the township commission. He was also the township’s planning and zoning chairman.

He was a 1965 graduate of South Hills Catholic High School and a standout football player at the College of William & Mary.

He earned a law degree from Duquesne University in 1975 and practiced law for nearly 45 years.

Darragh was deeply involved with Catholic Charities of Pittsburgh, where he served as board chair from 1999 to 2003. He was awarded the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great and in 2023, he received the Benemerenti Medal.

Township Manager Gwen Patterson recalled Darragh having extensive knowledge about a variety of issues and operations.

“Dan was a steady presence on the board,” Patterson said. “He was always prepared for meetings and discussions, which I certainly appreciated. He knew how to analyze township issues and could apply his legal knowledge to the subject at hand. His calm guidance was a benefit to the township residents and will be missed.”

R.D. Copeland Funeral Home in Sewickley handled visitation and services, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. James Church earlier this month. Darragh was 78.

Commissioners observed a moment of silence in remembrance of their fallen colleague at their Sept. 8 workshop meeting.

New commissioner

Darragh’s term was set to expire at the end of this year.

Resident Jed Michael, 39, was appointed to fill his seat via a 3-0 vote at the September meeting. Commissioner Amy Richert was absent.

He had previously introduced himself to township officials in May 2024 when inquiring about a position on the zoning hearing board.

Jones said Michael was top of mind when seeking someone to fill Darragh’s shoes. The commission vacancy was not posted.

“We had interviewed him to serve on the zoning hearing board,” Jones said. “We were very impressed. And when we asked him to be a commissioner, we were very happy that he said yes. He’s got a broad range of business talents.”

Michael, a Leetsdale native, graduated from Quaker Valley High School in 2004.

He recalled playing ice hockey throughout his time at the high school as well as the lessons taught by the late Bob Hague, longtime social studies teacher and Sewickley councilman.

Hague would help students analyze political cartoons and understand different points of view on a variety of topics.

“What I took away from him was the ability to understand both sides of an argument,” Michael said on Sept. 24.

“I think the role of local government is to really serve the day-to-day needs of the community. Being a place where everybody can come together, share their opinion and make decisions in the best (interest of the) community at large. Being a good listener and allowing people to have an opinion and listening to that opinion may not be as common these days.”

Michael has worked for Jim Shorkey Family Auto Group for the past 12 years. He currently serves as general operations manager, overseeing multiple locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Georgia. The company headquarters is in Irwin.

He lived in Pittsburgh’s Regent Square neighborhood for about seven years before moving to Aleppo with his family in 2023.

He has an 8-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter with his wife of 12 years, Allison Johnston.

Michael said he never met Darragh, but heard about his commitment to the township and public service through other commissioners.

“I hope I can honor his legacy by doing the same,” Michael said. The new commissioner’s role on the board has yet to be determined.

Michael said he hopes to increase cleanup efforts throughout the township and its streams.

He was sworn in to his new position by notary public Dawn Snyder.

Darragh’s name is expected to be on the November ballot, once again with Jones’, despite his passing.

An Allegheny County Elections Division staffer said there were no requests from the family to remove his name as of Sept. 24.

Michael said he plans to run a write-in campaign to keep the seat.

Messages to township Solicitor Anna Jewart were not returned as of press time.