Former Leechburg Council president remembered for love of community, service

Leechburg Council’s meeting Tuesday began differently than normal — with a moment of silence for former council president and active community member Anthony J. Defilippi.

Defilippi died Sunday, May 16 at 79.

“He was my mentor when I came on council,” said Tom Foster, the current council president.

Defilippi spent 52 years on Leechburg Council, the majority of which were spent as council president. Foster and other council members described him as a dedicated public servant whose wealth of knowledge made him instrumental in helping the town.

In addition to serving on council, he was president of the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs — which, incidentally, gives an award called the Anthony J. Defilippi Award for outstanding achievement in government affairs.

He was an Army veteran who served as a captain during the Vietnam War, a member of the Leechburg Volunteer Fire Company, a parishioner at Christ the King Parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Marconi Club and the former American Legion post.

His children say he had a love for working on old cars and a soft spot for the family dogs.

Anthony’s son, John, said he was dedicated to his family, most of whom lived close to the Leechburg area. He said his father took on a lot of responsibility helping, visiting and spending time with family members.

“He just always was that way,” Defilippi said. “He always seemed to strive to be making an impact on other people’s lives.”

That characteristic transferred to his public service.

Foster remembers fondly the time he was cleaning out Defilippi’s old office. His mentor seemed to have kept every piece of correspondence from his constituents — “all their complaints, and all their praises of what we were doing; he kept all that stuff.”

Defilippi never missed a council meeting: Foster said he regularly would drive from Harrisburg to Leechburg for council meetings, and then back again to balance his state and local duties. His involvement at the state government helped him guide Leechburg to obtaining grants and gather expertise for completing important projects in the borough, current council members said.

Among his most noteworthy projects, council members said, was Leechburg’s first sewer separation project and remedying mine subsidence — the ground sinking when underground coal mines collapse.

“We had streets that were collapsing and homes,” Councilman Chuck Pascal said. “He (helped) get money to fill in the voids.”

Defilippi spent 37 years as a teacher, including 35 years teaching chemistry at Leechburg Area School District. Pascal remembers being in his class.

“He was someone we always knew, even while we were in high school, who was involved in local government and always encouraged students to become involved in the community,” he said.

His daughter, Kathryn Defilippi, said she has fond memories of being in his class, where he would make his coffee on a Bunsen burner and had a plant growing out of a pop bottle.

“He was definitely a teacher you could rely on,” Kathryn said. “He was very consistent. … He was always friendly. He would challenge people.”

But beyond his service to the borough, those who knew Defilippi said he was cheerful and always had a smile. Many Leechburg residents took to Facebook this week sharing memories of their interactions with him in school, with council and throughout the community.

When it comes to his father’s legacy, John Defilippi said it is less about the things he did or his achievements during his life and more about the lasting effects he had on those around him: his family, coworkers, fellow council members and students.

“I hope they remember him for the service, for the impact on people’s lives,” Defilippi said. “The things he did will still be felt by the people impacted while he was here, and hopefully they will continue to pay it forward.”