Friends, family remember Butler man as dedicated lifelong educator
When many of Bruno Zuccala’s friends and family members remember him, they say they were grateful for the privilege of being close to him.
“He was a real exceptional guy. I mean, he was the real deal,” said Dominic Zuccala, his brother.
Bruno Zuccala, a Butler resident and longtime teacher in Butler County, as well as a color guard and drum corps instructor, died on Thursday, Aug. 21. His death impacted the lives of hundreds of family members and friends stretching far beyond the region.
“I received letters recently that came from different places in the country and in the world. He impressed upon a lot of people,” Dominic Zuccala said.
Bruno Zuccala took his first strides into teaching at Butler Catholic School before moving to Moniteau School District and later Seneca Valley School District. After retiring, however, he returned back to Butler Catholic as a substitute teacher.
Ralph McElhaney, a close friend since high school, said he was extremely dedicated to the causes he believed in, especially when it came to Butler Catholic School.
“He was so loyal to the school, he helped with the hiring decision and went on to mentor the principal and show a lot of support,” McElhaney said. “They could call Bruno at 5 a.m. and ask him to sub and he’d be there.”
Even after health problems began to mount, Dominic Zuccala said his brother was still committed to the things he believed in, such as the school.
“There was a 5K race for Butler Catholic School going on and he wanted to go help cook hot dogs. He was still using a walker,” he said.
Outside of education, he also volunteered with McElhaney at Hearts 4 Haiti, where the two worked to organize an annual gala for the charity group.
“He was a very results-oriented man and such a giver,” McElhaney continued.
Some of the people closest to Zuccala knew him from a young age. At age 9, he joined the General Richard Butler Vagabonds Drum and Bugle Corps with his brother. There, he met Alvin Vavro, his best friend.
“I used to joke with him and say he was ‘vertically challenged,’” Vavro joked. “The color guard rifle he was holding was as tall as he was.”
During Bruno Zuccala’s time in the Vagabonds, he fell in love with drum and bugle corps and went on to become an instructor for it and the Catholic Daughters of America’s drum and bugle corps based out of Butler.
Later on, he took over as instructor, administrator and director of The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. During his 27-year tenure, he led the corps to seven Drum Corps International World Championships.
“I always said with Bruno that everything he touched turned to gold,” Vavro said.
As part of his involvement in Drum Corps International and Winter Guard International, he became a competitive judge and administrator on a state and national level for both organizations.
He was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2011, the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Pennsylvania Federation of Contest Judges Hall of Fame in 2023.
“He’d leave the day after school let out and he’d come back the day before school started,” Dominic Zuccala recounted of his brother’s balance between teaching and his time with the corps.
He even brought those talents back to the county to instruct Slippery Rock University Marching Pride and winter guard as well as the Kiski Area High School band color guard and winter guard.
“At the end of the day, he was an educator,” Dominic Zuccala said. “It was his calling. He was born to be a teacher. There was no chink in the armor either. He did everything because he wanted to.”
Vavro, however, said he was much more than just an educator to hundreds — he was a mentor.
“There was a young man in the corps who was going through some personal problems. Bruno sat with him and talked to him all night long. He was much more than just the guy who taught them to march and spin flags,” he said.
That love and dedication poured over into his personal connections as each person said they would miss a beloved friend.
“He was the best kind of friend you can have,” Vavro said. “He was straightforward, and we saw each other through life’s stressors. He was there when my parents passed and I was there for him when his passed. He was the kind of guy to give you the shirt off his back.”
“Bruno was an extremely solid person and just a great friend,” McElhaney said. “Bruno was one of one.”
