Cheswick fire victim embraced Chippewa Indian heritage, described as 'gentle giant'

Darryl Hamley was widely known around the Alle-Kiski Valley as “Chief” because of his Chippewa Indian heritage, according to family members.

“They didn’t know a ‘Darryl,’ but they knew a ‘Chief,’ ” said his oldest sister, Jacque Novosel.

Hamley, 54, seemingly introduced himself to everyone he encountered and looked forward to telling them jokes, said his brother-in-law, David Norris.

“He never met a stranger,” Norris said.

Hamley’s life was cut short last Friday when he died after being pulled from his burning home in the 1400 block of Pittsburgh Street.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the fire. The cause and manner of death have not been released. While fire officials said the fire was contained to a kitchen at the back of the duplex’s first floor, first responders carried Hamley from the second floor.

Family members said they suspect Hamley, who wore hearing aids, might not have heard a smoke alarm.

Another sister, Mary Lou Norris, described Hamley as a “gentle giant” who lived life one day at a time with a positive attitude. It was rare to see him in a bad mood, she said.

“I would’ve liked to have him around longer, but I choose to think about the good memories of him,” she said.

When family members arrived at the scene, they said they expected to see him lingering outside the house as firefighters put out the fire. Novosel said his death has been difficult to process.

“We always had a feeling we would grow old together,” Novosel said.

Hamley was adopted from a foster home in Manitoba, Canada, when he was 2 and became the youngest of four siblings. His mother, Kathryn Matus, remembers how he got carsick during the 30-hour trip back to Pennsylvania.

Hamley was a 1986 graduate of Springdale High School. Family members said he had a hard time fitting in when he was younger because he was a Chippewa Indian in a predominantly white area.

But he came into his own after getting involved with the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center.

“They changed his life,” David Norris said. “He was able to embrace who he was, and they taught him more about his heritage.”

Hamley worked as a maintenance man for about a dozen years at multiple center locations, sometimes having to take a two-hour bus ride to work. Before working for the center, Hamley channeled his love for cooking through restaurant jobs throughout the Alle-Kiski Valley.

In his free time, Hamley worked on artwork, producing paintings and drawings to give to his family, and was glued to the television when the Penguins or Steelers played.

“He just made the best out of everything,” Novosel said, “and that’s what I am going to miss the most.”

Visitations for Hamley will be held Friday at the Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home and Crematory in Blawnox, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Greenwood Memorial Park in Lower Burrell.