Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos, beloved as civic booster, dies

Leechburg Mayor Wayne Dobos, known as a tireless advocate for his borough and a driving force behind countless projects, died Wednesday.

“He’s going to be a hard act to replace,” Council President Tom Foster said. “He was trying to revitalize Leechburg one project at a time.”

Foster said he was notified of the death by Dobos’ wife. The cause of death was an undisclosed illness.

“I’m in shock. I lost a great friend and fellow veteran. He was a dedicated mayor,” Councilman Alan Tarr said.

Borough Secretary Bernice Roberts said, “He was one of a kind and always there for people. He always made time for you.”

Elected to Leechburg Council in 2015, Dobos was appointed mayor in July 2017, after the resignation of Shawn Lerch. Already a candidate for mayor in that year’s election, Dobos was elected in November 2017. He was reelected in November after running unopposed.

Dobos spearheaded multiple projects in Leechburg, including the Hometown Hero Banner program, a gravel boat launch in Riverfront Park and a 2018 borough campaign dubbed “Beautify Leechburg: Polish the Jewel.”

He was instrumental in securing more than $100,000 in grant funding from Armstrong County to tear down multiple blighted and condemned properties.

Councilman Chuck Pascal said he will remember Dobos as an honest man who loved his town.

“You always knew where Wayne stood, whether it was with you or on the other side of anything,” Pascal said. “There was never any doubt; even if you disagreed with Wayne, he was doing what he thought was in the best interest of the town. There was never any ulterior motive. It was always sincere.”

Dobos, 72, was a proud Vietnam War veteran who hosted multiple patriotic ceremonies in the borough, including the annual Memorial Day parade.

He graduated from Leechburg High School in 1967. Dobos went on to learn welding and worked for U.S. Steel in Vandergrift before enlisting in the Army.

After coming back from service, Dobos went back to U.S. Steel until 1976. He then worked at Allegheny Ludlum, later Allegheny Technologies Inc., until his retirement in 2012.

Dobos also was on the board of directors for the Leechburg Area Community Development Corp.

Doreen Smeal, a contractor for the co-working space at the community development corporation and president of Leechburg Area Community Association, said she was a longtime friend of Dobos and worked on various projects with him over the years.

One of the more memorable projects the pair worked on was the military banner program, which honored veterans of all service branches.

Dobos would often call the borough “the jewel,” Smeal recalled.

“He’s going to be a great loss for Leechburg, and I would say the jewel of Leechburg was one of his main concerns; he worked very very hard for it,” Smeal said. “I am so sorry for his family for his passing, and he will be truly missed.”

Leechburg Area School District Superintendent Tiffany Nix served with Dobos on the community development board.

“I am so shocked, sick and sad about his passing,” Nix said. “Wayne will forever be in the heart. We worked on many projects together over the years. He loved his town and his people. Politics aside, no one gave (of) themselves the way that Mr. Dobos gave to everyone. We will make sure that his memory and commitment will live on.”

Funeral arraignments were incomplete as of Wednesday night, but are being handled by the Clawson Funeral Home.