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RICK A. BEGGS Fredric Alan "Rick" Beggs, 67, of Greensburg, passed away Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, at UPMC Shadyside Hospital, following a recent surgery. He was born March 4, 1952, in Greensburg, son of the late William Robert Beggs and Mary Ethel (Kuhns) Beggs. He grew up in Greensburg and was a graduate of Greensburg Salem High School, Class of 1970. He played baseball in his youth and played high school baseball and developed a lifelong love of the sport. He was a left-handed first baseman. Rick attended Robert Morris College with a full academic scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1974 and his Certified Public Accountant shortly after. He graduated with high honors, Cum Laude, and graduated number one in his accounting class. He accepted a job at Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. accounting firm in Pittsburgh upon graduation in 1974, where he worked through 1988. Rick lived in Pittsburgh and Level Green. During his time at C& L, he quickly became a manager and travelled extensively to job locations in PA, WV, NY, West Africa and South America, to name a few. He made 35 trips to Africa by the time he was 35, flying into Dakar, Senegal in West Africa, then on to Conakry, Guinea, to reach his client, Halco Mining, a parent company between some of the largest aluminum companies in the world, including Alcoa, who had a joint venture with CBG of Guinea in bauxite mining. Rick was the manager of the audit engagement here. He received a Guinea Susu nickname from some of the local people he interacted with that he would fondly refer to years afterward. Rick made numerous trips to Suriname in South America, where he did the same type of work for client Alcoa in their bauxite mining division. Rick retired from C&L in 1988 at the age of 36. He became self-employed and continued doing corporate and business auditing and consulting for clients, in addition to buying and remodeling properties and growing his property management business. He did consulting work at the University of Pittsburgh in the late 1980s and early 1990s in the medical health care division, working on special projects that were the precursor to UPMC Medical Center. Following that, he did consulting for Scott Paper in Mobile, Ala., Verland Foundation in Sewickley, and several other jobs for clients in the Pittsburgh area. He also taught classes on his work at different times and was a mentor in his field. Rick made so many lifelong friendships while at C&L and he highly regarded his fellow coworkers and companions on those long hour jobs and travel trips. Always quick with a good story from those years. He made many side trips for vacations during his travels, visiting Scotland, Europe, Egypt and Brazil, to name a few. He worked hard at everything he did, beginning with a paper route as a young boy. He worked numerous jobs prior to college, and he worked as a house painter in his late teen years through college. The summer after college, he helped his buddies paint the Tavern Restaurant in State College, Pa., prior to going to work at C&L in the fall. He used to joke, nearly 25 years later while visiting there, that it looked like it could use a new paint job. Rick played legion baseball well into his 40s. He coached Little League baseball for several years. He enjoyed attending professional ball games and visiting different baseball parks over the years, including the Pirates spring training camp. He was lucky enough to go to The Masters golf tournament in Augusta twice and he memorized every hole. He enjoyed music and his old Motown sounds and his 1956 Chevy, which he bought from his grandparents as a teenager and had for nearly 30 years. Rick was a member of Robert Morris Alumni Association and the Coopers Lybrand/PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) alumni group. He and his wife, Patsy (Patricia) enjoyed many years of a happy and loving marriage together. They enjoyed travelling and doing road trips together, visiting friends and family. A road trip with Rick was always an adventure, never knowing where a side trip may take you. Rick loved spending time with his daughter, Wendy, and granddaughters, Briana and Cassie, who were so very special to him. Rick touched many lives through his lifetime in a positive way. His friends and their families were always like family to him. He appreciated the kindnesses given to him along the way. He was kind-hearted and generous, quick-witted, smart, talented and had such a memory for people, places, numbers, birthdays, sports trivia and was a loyal friend. He was dependable and solid in everything he did. He will be missed immensely by his wife, Patsy, as he was her best friend and rock. He will be deeply missed by his daughter, granddaughters and all of his family, who he loved very much. He leaves a hole in the hearts of many. He was preceded in death by his parents, his mother in 1966 and his father in 1981. He was also preceded by his brother, Thomas Beggs, U.S. Marine; and brother-in-law, Joseph Romano; and his father-in-law, Donald Jupena. He is survived by his loving wife, Patricia (Jupena) Beggs, of Greensburg; his daughter, Wendy Liberoni Shandel (Scott), of Williamstown, Ky.; sister, Joyce Adamcyk (Michael), of Pittsburgh; brother, William Beggs, of Ohio; sister-in-law, Michele Beggs, of Jeannette; granddaughters, Briana and Cassidy Shandel, of Williamstown, Ky.; niece, Nicole Adamcyk; nephew, Alex Adamcyk, of Pittsburgh; niece, Jacqueline Beggs; and numerous in-law nieces, nephews, two great-nieces, and his four godchildren. Rick loved them all and enjoyed being a part of their lives and watching them grow up. He is also survived by his mother-in-law, Patricia Jupena; sisters-in-law, Nancy (Jupena) Mitchell (Bernard) and Carol (Jupena) Romano; and brother-in-law, Stephen and his wife, Terese Jupena. Rick will be deeply missed by them all. A full obituary may be viewed at the LEO M. BACHA FUNERAL HOME INC., website: www.bachafh.com. Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
