Thomas R. "Tim" Ahearn Jr.

Thomas R. (Tim) Ahearn, Jr.

June 20, 1939 – February 10, 2026

The beautiful life of Thomas R. (Tim) Ahearn, Jr, 86, ended peacefully on February 10, 2026, at Asbury Heights Senior Living Community in Mt. Lebanon.

Many family members were with him daily during his courageous battle against dementia, especially his faithful and caring wife, Bonnie, and his five children, as he gently entered eternal rest with his Heavenly Father.

A husband, father, brother, PapPap, coach, proud ambassador of Steamfitter's Local 449, and the self-proclaimed "Big Guy," Tim impacted many lives in a such a positive and powerful way. He passed away as the patriarch of the family.

Tim loved life and he was loved by many. He made friends easily because he put people at ease with his genuineness and good-natured banter. He kept friends because he was a giver not a taker and cared about others more than himself. Always full of laughter and fun to be around, Tim loved family gatherings and he enjoyed having the best of times with his friend group, "The Zubuds."

Tim valued hard work, quality work, and effort, not perfection and believed in the life-changing power of education.

He and Bonnie created a beautiful home together, travelled quite a bit and loved chillin' in Siesta Key and Venice with their friends, and hosted wonderful family gatherings, including Christmas Eve for many years.

Tim could appear gruff and intimidating sometimes, but he was oh so loving and gentle too. He loved to travel and explore yet was also quite content on his "couchy" watching football or one of the sitcoms he cherished while eating one of Bonnie's homecooked meals. He was old-school, never had a cell phone, his greatest enemy was the darn TV remote!

Tim was born in his beloved Pittsburgh on June 20, 1939, to Thomas Ahearn, Sr. and Margaret (Ware), who preceded him in death. He was the oldest of four siblings. His childhood bedmates, Regis (Elizabeth) Ahearn, of Castle Shannon, and Raymond Ahearn, of Brookline, also preceded him in death, while he had a special relationship with his sister Valeria (Nick) Kempa of Baldwin until his final day.

He was proud of his upbringing in the Betzhoover section of Pittsburgh, where he attended St. George Catholic School for his formal education, yet learned more informal and important life lessons at Warrington Avenue A&M (playground). He wanted to be an engineer, but his family couldn't afford college, so he became a third-generation member of Steamfitters Local #449, inducted into the international union in February of 1959. Simply stated, he loved being a 'Fitter and valued hard work, as well as outfitting his people with an endless supply of 449 T-shirts and caps.

Tim married Marlene (Shafer) of Pittsburgh in 1962, and the couple have four children, Shawn (Karen) Ahearn of Parrish, Fl., Colleen (Keith) McKerley of McMurray, Karen (Dan) Decker of Moon Township, and Darren Ahearn of Sabillasville, Md. He moved his family to Castle Shannon in 1966 and lived in his home on Sleepy Hollow Rd. for nearly 60 years. After Tim and Marlene divorced, while working out of town in Madison, Ohio, he met Bonnie (Deardorff) and her son Garth (Melisa) Deardorff; the two were married for more than 35 years. Tim and Bonnie have 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

In 2000, Tim suffered a brain aneurysm which nearly ended his life, but he showed great resiliency to recover and lead a relatively normal life with Bonnie by his side. Even though he struggled physically from time to time, he showed up. Whether it was a party, visiting a sick family member in the hospital, coaching his kids or picking up a grandchild after school, he was there. He was always there.

There will not be a traditional viewing and funeral, as Tim wanted a Celebration of Life and Irish Wake. We will honor his request on May 3, 2026, at South Park, where everyone is invited to have OMB – one more beer with Timmy.