Irwin man brought fun, music to many

Robert R. LaVella wanted to make people happy.

At work he sold and rented supplies for festivals and parties. In his free time he played drums with the “Bobby Lavella Quartet.” And wherever he went he was quick with a joke.

“He was always telling a joke, always telling stories,” said his son, Robert A. LaVella. “He loved to make people laugh.”

Robert R. LaVella, 82, of Irwin, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2019, in Hempfield Manor.

Mr. LaVella remembered details about everyone he met, and would often ask acquaintances about their lives. He could make anyone feel special, according to his children.

“What a gift it is, that everyone thought they were his friend,” said his daughter, Susan Martin.

Mr. LaVella was born June 23, 1937, in Greensburg, to the late Anthony and Frances (Cividini) LaVella.

He started his career working at his father’s company, Penn State Tool and Die Corp. After his father’s death in the early 1970s, Mr. LaVella and his wife Irene decided to open their own business. Fun Services sold games, booths and prizes to festivals and carnivals.

“He came home with a truck full of toys and that’s how they got started,” his son said.

He always chose to foster long-term relationships with customers rather than making a quick buck, his son said.

In his spare time, Mr. LaVella played music. His quartet was once the house band at The Adams House, a former restaurant in Adamsburg. They played at many other local establishments, meeting many nationally known musicians along the way.

“We were always in awe of what a great drummer he was,” Martin said. “He was all about music.”

When he wasn’t playing, Mr. LaVella was listening to music. He loved hearing polka on the radio and going to concerts.

He loved his children and his grandchildren, and especially enjoyed going to his grandchildren’s sporting events.

“He was very supportive of me, through my childhood and as I got older, and then he became a big cheerleader of me and my children,” Martin said.

Mr. LaVella is survived by his wife of 59 years, Irene (Ometz) LaVella; daughters Susan Martin and husband Dennis of Irwin, and Toni Orner and husband Robert of Greensburg; son Robert A. LaVella of Greensburg; and seven grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at Joseph W. Nickels Funeral Home, 404 Sewickley Ave., Herminie, followed by a funeral service.

Private entombment will follow in Westmoreland County Memorial Park.

Memorial donations may be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, 1702 E. Highland Ave., Suite 400, Phoenix, AZ 85016.