Superintendent called good friend, altruistic
During his life, Dr. Henry Sinopoli was an English teacher at Butler County Community College, superintendent at Allegheny-Clarion Valley and other school districts, chairman of the Redevelopment Authority of Butler, board member at Moraine Trail Council of the Boy Scouts of America, YMCA health speaker and unforgettably good friend.
Sinopoli, 74, died Friday as a result of injuries he received after colliding with a vehicle Wednesday while riding his bicycle in Butler.
Those who knew Sinopoli were devastated at the news of their friend's death, but were happy to share fond memories of their time with him.
Heidi Nicholls Bowser, director of membership and healthy living at the Butler YMCA, said she ran into Sinopoli many times over the years when both were members at the Y.
When they both became interested in the same health-related book, they gave a joint health talk on it at the YMCA.
“He called me his partner,” Bowser said. “We really bonded.”
She said very recently, Sinopoli could be found reading a textbook about neuroscience.
“I would say our nerdiness brought us together because Henry was an incredible lifelong learner,” Bowser said.
She said remaining curious all the days of her life is a personal goal and a priority she learned from Sinopoli.
“He will be missed and I will remember him as I continue to study,” Bowser said.
Nick Neupauer, president at BC3, said Sinopoli loved the county, the city of Butler, community service and teaching.While Sinopoli taught education courses, technical writing and lifelong learning classes at BC3, he most recently taught a health and longevity course.“He was interested in teaching the course as a cancer survivor,” Neupauer said.Sinopoli and his wife, Jocelyn, attended many functions at BC3 over the years, Neupauer said, and were generous donors and supporters of the college.“I valued my time talking to Henry about various subjects, especially education,” Neupauer said. “Now, I will forever cherish those discussions.”Jamie Schweinberg met Henry Sinopoli as a student at Butler Intermediate High School when he was 15 years old and Sinopoli was an assistant principal.“He said, 'I hope you are not going to be in my office,'” Schweinberg recalled.Ten or 12 days later, he came to the class Schweinberg was attending to apologize, as Schweinberg's mother, Betty, also worked as an assistant principal in the office.“As our careers progressed, anytime I saw him he was always very gracious and remembered that conversation,” Schweinberg said.He said Sinopoli was caring and affectionate, and always insisted on a hug when he saw Schweinberg.“He was just a great guy,” Schweinberg said.
Ray Tennent, CEO and scout executive at Moraine Trails Council, said Sinopoli was on the committee that hired him.Tennent said as a council board member, Sinopoli was instrumental in turning the council around financially and helping it grow.“He had so much of a positive impact on having nice facilities and having more kids involved in scouting,” he said. “He helped rally the community around scouting.”Tennent said learning of Sinopoli's death made Friday one of the saddest days of his life.“There are friends, then there are friends like Henry,” he said. “His humor and zest for life were only outdone by his generosity and commitment to our community.”Tennent said in 2012, Sinopoli became Moraine Trails Council president and shared the scouting story with many of the influential people he knew in the area.“Within just two years, the council became debt-free and had many consecutive years of financial as well as membership growth,” Tennent said. “The youth, our scouts, will never truly know what one person behind the scenes can do to make a difference.”But mostly, Tennent thinks of Sinopoli as a mentor and someone who could be leaned on when times got tough.“If everyone had a Dr. Henry Sinopoli in their life, the world would be a much better place,” Tennent said. “Butler County was better with a Henry Sinopoli making a difference every day.”He said the scouting legacy will live on due to Sinopoli and those he rallied around the cause.“He told me he didn't have any kids because he got married later in life, so he adopted the scouts,” Tennent said.
A close friend of Sinopoli, Ken Fair of Butler, described him as a dedicated school district superintendent and an intelligent and humorous man.“We were very close personal friends,” Fair said Friday.Fair said he worked as a substitute administrator in the Keystone School District in Clarion County for a year while Sinopoli was superintendent.He said Sinopoli started his career in the district as an assistant principal and eventually was hired as superintendent.“Very thorough. Very organized. One of the most intelligent individuals I've ever been around. Great knowledge of school law,” Fair said. “The kids' education programs came first, and he made sure the resources they had for kids were used to the best of their ability.“He treated everybody with respect. I can't say enough about the man. I'm just shocked.”Sinopoli retired from Keystone, but also worked as an adjunct professor at BC3 and taught classes at La Roche University, Fair said. He said Sinopoli also served on the advisory board at Butler Catholic School.Fair said Sinopoli exercised regularly.“Henry was very fit. We worked out at the Y together. We had many conversations there about the problems of the world and how we would solve them,” he said.
He also enjoyed Sinopoli's sense of humor.“He was a very humorous person. He was quick. He could come up with some good ones,” Fair said.The time he and his wife spent with Sinopoli and his wife is what he will miss the most.“We had dinner together regularly and spent time together. We got together and just talked. We would just sit down and talk and just visit.”Fair said the Sinopolis would visit him and his wife at their winter home in Florida, and he and Sinopoli would have dinner together before school board meetings.“We had a lot of laughs and lot of good times together. We're going to miss him,” Fair said.Eagle Staff Writer Steve Ferris contributed to this article.
