Kenneth Leroy BRUGGEMAN

BRUGGEMAN, Kenneth Leroy Kip to all who knew and loved him, passed away unexpectedly, on Thursday, December 8, 2022. His death was a shock to all and leaves a void to those who loved him. Kip was born on October 12, 1954, in Greensburg, PA and was the beloved son of his mother, Dorothy. At the tender age of 12, he lost his mother to breast cancer. She had a profound impact in shaping Kip into the man he became. A man who hated injustice, who loved and respected women in a way few can emulate, who was both deeply loyal and protective of those close to him, along with a playful sense of humor. He could hang with any and all. Kip was a poet and a musician from an early age, channeling his grief into a deep love of music, animals, and nature. Countless hours and years were spent honing his skills on his beloved guitars. He would laugh and say that music was his mistress, second only to his Sweetheart. Kip met and married Courtney Pardue in Boston and they shared 27 spectacular years together laughing, loving, and sharing a passion for dogs. Kip was her rock and she was his light.

Kip is survived by his steadfast wife Courtney; her parents, Linda McMahan, Arch Pardue; and stepmother Clare; his longtime best buddy, Ronnie Esser, his wife and son, June and James. Additionally, Kip and Courtney crafted together a family filled with generations of loving cousins, nieces, and nephews in the Battiston, Colosimo, and Pardue families, along with an amazing community of musicians, friends and neighbors.

Visitation will be held for close friends and family at the Hahn Funeral Home, on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Burial Service will be held on Thursday, December 15, 2022, at the Penn Forest Natural Burial Park, 121 Colorado Street, Verona, PA, at 3:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will be held afterwards, at Moondogs, located 378 Freeport Road, Blawnox.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Allegheny Cleanways, the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh or to JFCS Pittsburgh.