Andrew Jerome DiBernardo

Andrew DiBernardo, 22, of Irwin passed away at his home on Saturday, June 15, 2024.  He was an amazing person.

Andrew was an Eagle Scout.  He achieved this all on his own, without any help from his parents. Andrew was a 2021 graduate of Greater Latrobe Senior High School where he enjoyed Mr. Wortman’s automotive vo-tech classes with his friends.  He was employed at NTB in Greensburg, where his coworkers described him as a breath of fresh air, always smiling and getting people together, and a genius with cars.  Many considered him a brother.

Andrew was hard working, self reliant and inventive from a young age.  He built a box fan with Pap when he was seven.  He built an outdoor handwashing sink for Nana’s picnic when he was nine, and made yearly upgrades on it for the next three years of picnics.  Andrew built a go-cart at age 12 and a mini-bike shortly after that, both from the ground up.  He brought his go-carts to family holidays at EE’s house for everyone to enjoy.   You could count on Andrew to make family events more fun in unique ways.   He always had a goal and a plan, and was always quite excited about it.  He loved rebuilding things, always making them better than the original with his improvements. He was a do-er, all-action, all-in.  He had the greatest energy as well as amazing skills and talent.  Last June, Andrew helped Poppy and his cousin Jake build a garage for Poppy.

Andrew’s current labor of love was fixing up a 1994 Chrysler LeBaron convertible which he and his brother Alex drove five hours to Delaware to buy.  He taught himself how to work on a carburetor to be able to fix his latest treasure.  He was so bright and with the help of youtube and love of learning new things, unstoppable.   We came to him to fix everything - cars, computers, cell phones, Pap’s quadrunner and tractor.  He would tell us about his projects in perfect detail, despite his wealth of knowledge being lost on most.   “Andrew,” his aunt Kaleigh once told him, “you lost me after the word ‘tire’.”

Kaleigh met Andrew when he was 15 years old.  She marveled at how talking to this 15 year old was like talking to an adult.  He was fiercely independent and enjoyed living in his own place three doors up from Nana and Pap since November 2023.  He loved his two cats, bowling with his friends, and having them over along with his brother Alex.  He visited Nana and Pap and fixed things for them.  He was proud to do work for his landlord next door.  He enjoyed driving over to Grandma Lynn and Poppy’s for birthday celebrations and delicious dinners cooked with love. 

He had a special relationship with his Aunt Amanda. He was her yard sale buddy.  He would call her up, and she would take him anywhere, anytime before he could drive.  One time he asked her to come over so he could see her.  When she got here, he told her, “My mom’s car is broken.  Can you take me to Best Buy?”  

Andrew was good to his nephew, Nico.  He talked to Nico, who is now 7, like an equal. Andrew said “Hey, buddy” so sweetly to him.  We will all miss hearing that.  Andrew would pick Nico up and take him for donuts at Donut Chef.  When we asked Nico to say something about Andrew, he simply said, “I loved him.”  

Andrew struggled with depression for years. Being such a proud and independent young man, he found himself unable to discuss his struggles with family, but he did find comfort in a group of close friends.  His family is forever grateful to these friends who helped each other through life's challenges.  Andrew had seemed to many to be doing very well lately, expressing how winters are hard, but summer felt easier.  On Friday, he received a legal notice in the mail at his parents’ house and took his own life - we believe on Saturday but his Uncle Zak found him on Sunday.  He told us (his parents) that he didn’t know what was in the envelope - he was in no trouble that he knew of, he said -  and respecting his valued privacy, we did not pry further but called in the support of other close family to discreetly provide support.  He did not give us time.  Andrew’s entire family is left with pain and regrets, and we will have to figure out how to come to terms with them.  I will forever regret not saying  “Whatever is in that envelope, it does not change anyone’s love and respect for you.  And your whole family would be so happy to help you, please don’t go it alone this time.”  No one can say for sure, but I believe that the despondency he felt over this matter made him decide to take his life. 

I include the above because I want his friends and anyone reading this to PLEASE realize that the people who love you ALWAYS love you. What is in that envelope does NOT define you. Everyone makes mistakes, and you are not your mistake!  You light up peoples’ lives!  You, Andrew, will always be our Cat Whisperer with unconventional methods, energetic inventor, ski buddy to your dad and brother and Uncle Brett (taking them into uncharted territory through the trees), Uncle Zak’s deer hunting partner at Pap’s hunting events and member of the exclusive yearly squirrel hunt, part of Jacob Noel’s game night crew, everyone’s repair man, head fireworks guy at our house with Alex & Jake & Travis, captain of the pontoon boat at Deep Creek, daring rider of dirt bikes and quads, person most excellent at jumping off the rope swing at Uncle Zak’s river, & energetic, kind, fun, funny, strong-willed son/brother/grandson/nephew/cousin with a good heart and amazing ideas.  

To others reading this, I beg you not to make the choice Andrew made this weekend.  We will treasure every memory we had with Andrew for the past 22 years, but we wanted so many more. Andrew’s cousin Jake said yesterday,  “Everything Andrew taught me made me the man I am.”    Andrew was Jake’s mentor of all things automotive.  Andrew’s family would be grateful for any other tributes and memories anyone has to share.  We really need these memories so we can cherish the time and light he gave us all. It will help us be comforted in all the difficult moments we face ahead, because this tragic, permanent, unnecessary loss is beyond hard. 

Andrew is survived by his parents, Jay and Stephanie DiBernardo; his brother, Alex DiBernardo; two sets of grandparents - Jerome “Poppy” and Linda “Grandma Lynn” DiBernardo, and Jack “Pap” and Mary Lou (Nana) Shuster; his aunts and uncles and cousins - Kelly DiBernardo Rupert with sons Jake and Travis, Brett and Amanda Shuster with son Nico, and Zak and Kaleigh Shuster with son Zekiah and baby number two on the way anytime; as well as many wonderful friends, and his two cats, Bella and Blue.

Friends and family will be received from 5 to 8 Thursday, June 20, 2024 at HART FUNERAL HOME, 3103 Lillian Ave, Murrysville, PA 15668.  A funeral service will be held at 11am Friday, June 21, 2024 in the funeral home.  There will be prayer cards with great pictures of Andrew on them at the funeral home.  Please remember to take as many prayer cards as you would like.  For online condolences, please visit www.hartfuneralhomeinc.com.

Please tell your kids often that everyone makes mistakes and that their mistakes will never change your love for them, so please come to us.  Kids, please realize that you are the light of so many peoples’ worlds.  You have so many people who love you no matter what.  Please don’t extinguish your unique light.  

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, PLEASE INSTEAD consider making a monetary contribution in memory of Andrew, by donating to Feeding the Spirit in Greensburg, because Andrew was all about helping people.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Andrew Jerome DiBernardo, please visit our Tree Store.