Name: Visitation for Alan Mikula
Start: 2025-11-09T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2025-11-09T19:00:00.000Z
Location: Dunmire-Kerr & Rowe Funeral Home, Inc.

Alan Mikula, 79, of Vandergrift, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in the Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh. He was born Sept. 24, 1946, in Tarentum, to the late Dorothy Tomayko and Theodore Mikula. Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Letti (Oplinger) Mikula; three sons, Eric of Vandergrift, Kevin of York, and Keith of Cumberland, MD. Alan and Letti have 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two brothers, Ken of Vandergrift and Dennis of Florida. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Ron Mikula. Alan graduated from Kiski in 1964 and Clarion University. In 1969, with a degree in education. He was a member of Clarion's Theta Xi fraternity. Alan had a master's from IUP in instructional media and graduate courses from Penn State. He was a member of many local organizations, including the Vandergrift Lions Club, where he was a former president, and the East Vandergrift Slovak Club, where he is on the board of directors. He has played guitar and sung in many bands since he was 15, most recently the Fabulous Flashbacks and Stagger Lee. He was an administrator for Penn State, Altoona campus, for 20 years as well as a teacher of education courses. After retiring, he became the mayor of Altoona and the mayor of Vandergrift after moving back to Vandergrift. Alan also owned Amish Fine Furniture and Vision IV Photography, both of the Vandergrift area. Alan loved doing photography, winning many awards for his photos, riding his motorcycle and MG, traveling the country with his wife, singing and playing his guitar, and especially spending time with his family. He was a proud father and grandfather and a loving husband. Family and friends will be received from 3 till 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in DUNMIRE-KERR & ROWE FUNERAL HOME INC., 244 Franklin Ave., Vandergrift. Funeral services will be private. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Park, Lower Burrell. To leave an online condolence, visit us at www.Dunmirekerr.com.Com

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Published by The Valley News Dispatch on Nov. 7, 2025.

Memories and Condolences
for Alan Mikula

2 Entries

Norman

November 21, 2025

Mr. Mikula was occasionally a substitute teacher at Bellwood-Antis High School in Bellwood, PA in the early 1980s. He said funny things with a straight face to make us students laugh. We enjoyed having Mr. Mikula as our substitute teacher for a break from our regular teachers.

One day (I believe in 1984) Mr. Mikula said with his usual straight face that he was running for mayor of Altoona. We laughed. We thought he was being funny again. He said he was serious, again with a straight face. We laughed even harder. We could not imagine our funny substitute teacher, Mr. Mikula, running for mayor of Altoona no matter how serious he pretended to be.

A few weeks later the local television news channel announced that Alan Mikula won the election to become mayor of Altoona. Wait! What? Alan Mikula? Our Mr. Mikula won the election? Yes, our funny substitute teacher had indeed been serious when he told us he was running for mayor of Altoona.

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Alice and Bob

November 8, 2025

We will always hold dear our memories of Alan. He was a good man, and was always a delight to be around. Thanks for the memories and music. Our deepest sympathies to the family.

Aly and Bob

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