Tributes began rolling in on social media hours before the family announced the sad news.

David A. Regoli, 56, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021.

A lawyer, former Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court judge and Lower Burrell councilman, his unexpected death due to complications from a routine cardiac procedure left friends and family stunned.

Those who knew him insist David Regoli, the middle child of former county commissioner and state Sen. John Regoli and his wife, Dolly, was more than just another local barrister who dabbled in politics. Friends and associates say he was a trusted adviser who put people ahead of politics.

More than that, he was the glue that held a family together after tragedy struck twice in a period of four months.

First there was the death of his younger sister, Sharon Regoli Ciferno, 50, who died of injuries she suffered in a tragic accident while vacationing in Mexico in August 2017. Five months later, his older brother, John Regoli Jr., died of brain cancer in January 2018 at the age of 54.

Even as he grieved, the middle child did everything he could to comfort his parents, the children his siblings left behind and his own — Antonio and Isabella — along with his wife Anna Marie.

John and Dolly Regoli always felt their son was someone special. Even so, John Regoli can’t believe all of the people who’ve reached out over the last 24 hours to say they were touched by his son.

“Love has been pouring out all over, and I’m amazed and gratified that people thought that much of him,” he said, choking back tears. “He was a good kid, and I don’t think he had a mean bone in his body. The last 10 to 15 years of my life, I was proud everyone thought of me as David’s dad. That I was David’s dad was my greatest accomplishment.”

Judge Chris Scherer, who has called Regoli a friend since the two were in elementary school, said Regoli just wanted to do everything he could for everyone he met — “friends, family, clients, the courts and people he just met.”

“He was something special,” Scherer said. “His legacy is huge.”

Regoli learned the good, the bad and the ugly about politics tagging along with his father on the campaign trail as a teenager.

The Regolis are Democrats, and they have been engaged in some tough political battles over the years.

Typically those skirmishes leave scars. But David Regoli showed no signs of scarring or hardness. Instead, he seemed to grow more attuned to those around him.

County Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher saw it time and again when he campaigned with her.

“He’d walk in a room, always had a smile on his face. He could go up to a table and talk to everybody and everyone. And he was always excited to tell you about his family, his wife Anna Marie and his children Bella and Antonio,” she said.

He was over the moon when he snared an appointment to a vacancy on the county Common Pleas Court bench from Republican Gov. Tom Corbett in 2014.

Duquesne University law professor Joe Mistick said Regoli called him shortly after his appointment to ask if he could help him set up a veterans court.

“He heard we had one in Allegheny County and he wanted to get something in Westmoreland County to help veterans,” Mistick said.

District Attorney John Peck said he was impressed with Regoli’s work as an advocate during his first trial as a young defense attorney and saw that commitment to the law continue when he was appointed to the bench.

“David was an excellent example of what we expect a judge to be. It was a privilege to work with David,” Peck said.

After 18 months on the bench, Regoli ran a spirited campaign for election to a full 10-year term.

When he lost by 111 votes, there was no rancor.

He later said he was happy he stuck to his principles and remained a Democrat, even after an adviser insisted he switch parties to improve his chances at the polls.

“I had a great law practice before, and I’ll have a great law practice again,” he said.

“David lived that Kipling thing about treating defeat and victory the same way,” Mistick said.

Shortly after his loss, he was appointed to a post in the Westmoreland County Solicitor’s office. He also served several municipalities as solicitor.

His love of politics — which he saw as helping people — never waned.

When his friend and neighbor Nicole Ziccarelli decided to run for district attorney as a Republican this year, she turned to him for advice. Regoli’s daughter, Bella, was Ziccarelli’s babysitter. The families had been friends for years. She trusted he’d offer sage advice despite their political differences.

“David was the glue who held so many of us together for so long,” said Ziccarelli, district attorney-elect. “I told my husband this morning, I didn’t realize how close we were. David was one of my closest advisers. He helped me put together the team I am taking to the district attorney’s office. I hope our work will be a tribute to his legacy.”

David Regoli’s wife of 30 years, Anna Marie Ianuzzi Regoli, said she’s grateful for the support flowing to her family. In a post published shortly after his death, she vowed to advance his legacy with their children, Isabella, a freshman at Penn State, and Antonio, who just finished his first semester of law school.

“We will make you proud. We will be okay. …We won’t let you down,” she wrote on social media, bidding farewell to “the best husband, father, son and friend.”

The family was still finalizing arrangements Friday with Giunta-Bertucci Funeral Home Inc. in Arnold.

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