Upper Burrell Supervisor Mike Conley was devoted to the township his entire life, friends said Friday while remembering the lifelong resident.
“He loved the community,” Supervisor Ken Slahtovsky said. “Being on the board is a thankless job, and it takes a special person. Mike was one of them.”
Conley, 61, died Sunday at home after a brief illness.
He served two lengthy stints as a township supervisor, first from 1991 to 2005 and then again in recent years after being reelected in 2017.
Conley dedicated himself to the neighborhood in almost all of his life’s roles. He worked as the township roadmaster and co-owned the Oak Lake Golf Course, a 116-acre property run by his family since 1972.
Conley was an EMT and an active member of the Upper Burrell Township Volunteer Fire Company.
Fellow Supervisor Ross Walker III referred to Conley “a wonderful human being.”
“He would help you in any situation,” Walker said. “He was always interested in the betterment of the township.”
The pair had been friends for more than four decades. Slahtovsky, too, had been friends with Conley their entire lives.
“We grew up together, and all I can say is he was a good man,” Slahtovsky said.
Conley is survived by his wife, Jodi; mother, Sylvia Ferrari Conley; sister, Kathy Brouwer; and two nephews.
Private services are scheduled for Saturday, according to Walker.
