Joe Negri, known as Mr. Rogers' "Handyman," dies at 99

Joe Negri, known to many within Pittsburgh as Handyman Negri on "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," has died at the age of 99, just days shy of his 100th birthday, Fred Rogers Productions confirmed to KDKA-TV on Sunday evening.

Negri was a broadcasting pioneer, an accomplished musician, a Pittsburgh icon, and someone many children grew up watching on TV.

For more than 30 years, when children across America tuned in to "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood," they often saw Handyman Negri tinkering on things in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Negri, who played the character, always said playing the role of a handyman was make-believe for sure, since he wasn't handy at all in real life.

"I said, 'Fred, I'm not handy at all. I can't even hammer a nail.' And he said, 'Don't worry about a thing, it's going to be all pretend,'" Negri said in a prior interview with KDKA-TV.

While he wasn't handy fixing things, Negri was good with his hands on the guitar.

Eventually, "Handyman Negri" ended up running "Negri's Music Shop" on the show, getting to perform with legendary musicians like Wynton Marsalis, Johnny Costa, and Yo-Yo Ma.

"I'm glad he gave me the music shop because it gave me a really good opportunity to utilize my music," Negri recalled.

Music was Negri's passion. He lived and breathed it his entire life.

Born in 1926 in Pittsburgh, Negri began performing on the radio at just 3 years old.

"And I sang. So, my dad, rather than have to worry about the pianist accompanying me, put a ukulele in my hands, and he started teaching me the songs, and I would accompany myself on a ukulele."

Eventually, he switched to guitar, and in the 1950s, during the early days of KDKA-TV, Negri and his trio regularly appeared on "The Buzz and Bill Show."

But in 1968, when "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" debuted on WQED, Fred Rogers created the role of "Handyman Negri" specifically for him, a role he'd go on to play for nearly 35 years.

Off stage, Negri also taught jazz guitar for nearly 50 years at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne, and Carnegie Mellon University, continuing to teach well into his 90s before retiring in 2019.

Negri remembered as kind, humorous friend

Negri's death is being felt by people across the Pittsburgh region and the world. That includes those who knew him best, including another member of the "Neighborhood."

Negri's death hasn't fully hit David Newell yet. Newell is best remembered as Mr. Rogers' delivery man, Mr. McFeely.

"What I am feeling is a loss of a good friend that I've known over these many years," Newell said. "He was the kindest man. I think, comparing him to Fred Rogers, they were both so kind, and he had a good sense of humor."

Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College executive director Emma Swift Lee says they've been thinking a lot about Negri and his legacy as he approached his 100th birthday.

"I'm so sad to see him gone, and I'm so grateful for all that he did," Lee said. "He was such a special person, had such an incredible impact on, I mean, generations of children."

She says he shows children that he respected them enough to bring them quality music.

"Music can't be pulled apart from 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' and Joe Negri is such a reason why," Lee said.

She says on TV Negri represented what a good neighbor is, which was no surprise, because by all accounts, he was one.

"The Joe I knew was what you saw on television," Newell said.

They'd do events together at PBS stations across the country.

"It was so much fun traveling with him," Newell recalled.

There are stories he could share for hours.

"This is helping me a lot, talking about Joe, because of the good memories I have with him. And that's one thing that you'll always have of someone: the memories that they can't take away from you. That's how I think I'm dealing with Joe's death."

Newell said the best way to celebrate Negri's life is to listen to his music now and for years to come.