Chiappini

Ernest R. “Ernie” Chiappini, 73, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 26, 2023, in the comfort of his home with his loving family by his side.

Born in Butler on Jan. 27, 1950, he was a son of the late Thomas and Helen Schepp Chiappini.

A 1967 graduate of Butler High School, Ernie maintained cherished friendships with many of his former classmates. He received his bachelor’s degree from Slippery Rock University.

A U.S. Navy veteran, he was proud to have served his country from 1969 to 1973. During that time, he volunteered for Operation End Sweep, a mission to clear U.S.-laid mines from North Vietnamese waterways. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal.

After brief employment at both Marmon Keystone and the Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad, Ernie worked for many years at the U. S. Postal Service, where he truly enjoyed his job as a letter carrier until his retirement in 2010.

He was a member of All Saints Parish, Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church. He also belonged to American Legion Post 778 and VFW Post 249.

A longtime member of Oneida Bowhunters, he served as their secretary for over 20 years. The club provided him with valued friendships and the opportunity to enjoy and practice archery, a sport he loved. He was a skilled artisan; his reputation as an expert arrow-maker grew nationwide. His arrows were “straight shooters” — much like Ernie himself.

An avid outdoorsman, Ernie enjoyed all seasons of hunting, especially when in the company of his sons, in whom he instilled a similar passion. He loved fishing, biking, cross-country skiing and simply being in the woods or hiking his favorite trails. During the last years of his life he discovered great joy in reading.

Above all, Ernie was a devoted family man. His priority was loving and caring for his wife, his children and their loved ones, who revered and loved him in return. He was always willing to serve his entire family in any way they needed. He embraced his role as “Papa” wholeheartedly, finding many ways to entertain and support his precious, adoring grandchildren. Never more content than being with his family, Ernie was a genuinely happy man who knew and appreciated the blessings in his life.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia Cipollone Chiappini, whom he married Dec. 27, 1975; his two sons, Anthony Chiappini and his wife, Tarah, of Butler, and Nicholas Chiappini and his love, Allison Gall, of Stafford, Va.; one daughter, Emily Ruscetti, and her husband, J.M., of Wexford; three grandchildren, Blake Chiappini and Luca and Mia Ruscetti; one brother, Michael Chiappini, and his wife, Norma, of Butler; and a number of aunts, nephews, nieces and cousins.

Ernie’s family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to the many doctors and nurses who cared for him during his illness, always treating him with great dignity, respect and kindness.

CHIAPPINI — Family and friends of Ernest R. “Ernie” Chiappini, who died Friday, May 26, 2023, will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in MARTIN FUNERAL HOME, 429 Center Ave., Butler.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at All Saints Parish, Saint Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, 432 Center Ave., Butler, with the Rev. William D. Wuenschel officiating.

Burial will take place in Calvary Cemetery, where Military Honors will be accorded by American Legion Post 778, American Legion Post 117 and VFW Post 249.

The family respectfully requests that donations made in Ernie’s memory go to the American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

For more information, visit www.martinfh.net.

Please sign the guest book at www.butlereagle.com.