Ex-state senator was mainstay in Mon Valley
Some men of distinction have a street or a building named after them.
Edward P. Zemprelli got a bridge.
When the old ClairtonGlassport span was replaced by a new one over the Monongahela River in 1987, it was a tribute to Mr. Zemprelli, whose long political career benefited the citizens of the Mon Valley.
Mr. Zemprelli, a Clairton native, died Dec. 4 in Jupiter, Fla., of complications from advanced age. He was 92.
He was an attorney, Pennsylvania state senator, a Democratic party leader and a trustee at his alma mater, Penn State University. He served in the Senate for the 45th District from 19691988.
Judge Jeffrey A. Manning, president judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, was an old friend of Mr. Zemprelli’s, who was chairman of Judge Manning’s 1989 campaign.
“From the biggest people to the smallest people, Ed Zemprelli would help you,” he said. “We were very close; he and Phil [current Common Pleas Judge Philip Ignelzi] and I had a birthdays close together and we would celebrate every year.”
Judge Manning also issued a statement:
“Ed Zemprelli was not just a terrifically talented politician, he was a statesman and an eloquent orator in the purest sense of those words. He was the master of the art of compromise and a true leader who did not kowtow to his constituents, but spent his career convincing people what was best for all, as he sought even if it was inconsistent with their self-interests.
“We need only reflect on the climate of today’s politics to understand that they don’t ‘make them like the Zemp’ anymore.”
Even when Mr Zemprelli was implicated in a whitecollar federal trial in 1991, Mr. Ignelzi, then a defense counselor, recalled: “There wasn’t a hint of self-pity, not a hint of despair… the Ed I knew before the trial was the Ed I knew [afterward].”
Mr. Zemprelli was acquitted of charges relating to real estate fraud.
Born and raised in Clairton, the son of the late John and Maria Mercurio Pelegrini Tomaselli Zemprelli, the man Judge Ignelzi referred to as “Zeppy” embraced a work ethic of monumental proportions.
At Penn State, Mr. Zemprelli joined the debate team and worked the chains at football games while earning his undergraduate degree. A law degree from the University of Pittsburgh followed, and he set up practice in his hometown.
He was married for 64 years to Margaret Zemprelli, who died in 2014.
After his retirement from the Senate, Mr. Zemprelli continued to practice law, and became a lobbyist for the Pennsylvania Association for Justice.
A memorial service was held Saturday at St. Thomas A’ Becket Roman Catholic Church in Clairton, followed by a luncheon. There, one of Mr. Zemprelli’s former constituents stood up to tell a a story. Back in the days when he was a senator, she heard him speak on welfare reform and health coverage.
“She told him she was veryimpressed with the way he handled it, the fairness and equity he brought to the table with his speech,” Judge Ignelzi said.
The woman said she was an unemployed single mother of five children. Mr. Zemprelli suggested she take the civil service test. Not long afterward,he helped her find a job.
“I know he did this for many, many residents of Clairton,” Judge Ignelzi added.
Mr. Zemprelli is survived by a daughter, Carla Zemprelli Corum of Commerce City, Colo.; a granddaughter and four great-grandchildren.
Private entombment was held Saturday at Jefferson Memorial Park, Pleasant Hills.
Judge Ignelzi said in researching his eulogy for the service, he came across a quote from Mr. Zemprelli in the late 1980s: “He had to give a speech for the United States constitutional bicentennial, and he said something like, ‘There are those of you out there who believe I’m going to try to give a very brief speech, as orators tell you to do. However, those of you who know me know I am absolutely incapable of giving a short speech.’ “
After all, Mr. Zemprelli was a lawyer. Long speeches were a stock in trade. After relaying that anecdote to those in attendance, Judge Ignelzi said, he turned to the casket and added “Edward, your friend is a little different. I can give a short speech.”