Albert Thomas Kapalko

Albert Thomas ‘Tom’ Kapalko died on March 2, 2025 at WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was 81.

Tom was born on January 20, 1944, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania to Albert Steve and Anna Martha (Kukla) Kapalko, and was the second eldest of five children. His father was the owner of Kapalko Pontiac Company, and his mother was a secretary and homemaker.

Tom graduated from Fairchance-Georges High School in 1961. He held two Bachelor of Science degrees from West Virginia University, the first in Horticulture and the second in Landscape Architecture. He worked in Grounds Management at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., and Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He also served as Assistant Superintendent of the National Memorial Funeral Home and Park in Falls Church, Virginia.

Tom served in the United States Army Reserve for six years. At that time, he returned to his hometown of Fairchance, Pennsylvania, to help his father operate the family business, Kapalko Pontiac Company. He assumed full operation of the dealership in 1977 at the time of his father’s death. In 1985, Tom opened The Painted Rocker, an antique, craft and gift shop. For nearly 20 years, Tom found immense joy in curating The Painted Rocker- filling it with beautiful pieces of craftsmanship and history. He loved helping his customers- many of whom were cherished friends and neighbors- choose unique pieces to adorn their own homes or those of their family, friends and colleagues in the form of gifts. For the last decade, he served as the Fairchance Borough Tax Collector.

For nearly 50 years, Tom was a member of the Fairchance Exchange Club and held all offices. His father was one of the Club’s founding members.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by one brother, David (Marilyn Goetz) Kapalko, and three sisters, Barbara (Norman) Bean, Martha (Ronald) Smith and Marilyn (William) Trackemas. He also leaves behind treasured nieces and nephews, Christine (Jon) Culberson, Norman Chip Bean, Meghan Anne (Travis Minyon) Smith and Ryan Trackemas.

Our family wishes to thank Dr. Trishala Menon and Dr. Sharmeen Amin for their care in what were, very unexpectedly, Tom’s final days. We also want to extend our gratitude to several earth angels from Unit 3West, who treated Tom and our family with unimaginable kindness, respect and dignity. Those angels are four nurses: Taylor, Barbara, Angela and Amy; three aides, Jenn, Izzy and Nikki; and his palliative care social worker, Danielle. A special thank you to Debbie, who picked up extra shifts as a patient sitter to spend many sleepless nights with us caring for a man she’d only just met.

Friends and family will be received at the Dean C. Whitmarsh Funeral Home in Fairchance, Pennsylvania on Friday, March 7, 2025 from 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm and on Saturday, March 8, 2025 until 9:30 am when Prayers of Transfer will be said. The Funeral Mass will follow at 10:00 am in Ss. Cyril & Methodius Roman Catholic Church, 50 North Morgantown Street, Fairchance. Interment will follow at Mountain View Memorial Park in Brownfield with Military Rites being accorded by General Marshall Amvets Post 103 Honor Guard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Tom’s honor to The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. Donations can be made by visiting amazingkids.org/giving or sent by mail to The Children’s Institute, 1405 Shady Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15217. If you need assistance or have any questions, phone the Institute directly at (412) 420-2400.

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