Joseph H. Negri

Joseph Harold “Joe” Negri, acclaimed jazz guitarist, devoted educator, and beloved television personality known to millions as “Handyman Negri” on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, died on Saturday, May 30, 2026, just 10 days shy of his 100th birthday. A gentle, steady presence on stage and screen for nearly a century, he shared his love of music with audiences of all ages and leaves behind a legacy of kindness, creativity, and song.

Born on June 10, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Joe grew up in a close‑knit Italian family where music was part of everyday life. He began playing guitar at age 3, performed on the radio as a child, and worked as a professional musician as a teenager. He toured nationally with big bands in the 1940s before serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

After the war, Joe returned to the city he always called home, studied composition at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University), and became a central figure in Pittsburgh’s jazz community. He led his own groups on stage and on local television, earning a reputation as one of the finest jazz guitarists of his generation and a generous colleague who always made room for younger players.

Beginning in 1968, Joe reached a national audience through his long‑running role on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, where he appeared as the proprietor of Negri’s Music Shop and as Handyman Negri in the Neighborhood of Make‑Believe. With his quiet humor and lyrical guitar playing, he helped introduce generations of children to live music and showed that creativity, patience, and imagination were core life lessons.

A devoted educator, Joe spent nearly half a century teaching jazz guitar at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon, helping to launch formal jazz guitar programs with a national reputation. He shaped Pittsburgh’s musical life from the classroom as much as from the bandstand. Known for his bebop‑rooted approach, his patient, story‑filled lessons, and his belief that every student deserved serious attention, he mentored generations of guitarists—many of whom still speak of him as both a teacher and a friend.

Joe recorded as both a leader and a sideman, collaborating with artists including Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton and Ellis Marsalis, Kenny Burrell, Michael Feinstein, and many more. He appeared as a frequent guest with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and its Pops concerts, helping to bridge jazz, classical, and popular music on some of the city’s most prominent stages. Whether playing in a small club, a classroom, a TV studio, or a concert hall, he brought the same warmth, humility, and deep love of the guitar at every performance.

At home, Joe was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He took pride not only in what he played, but in the people he loved and the community he served. His wife, Joan, with whom he had been married for 72 years, was the quiet presence behind his business. He is remembered not just for his artistry, but for his ready smile, his patience, and his belief that music could make the world a kinder place.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Negri; his daughters, Lisa Negri (Robert Sickels), Laurie Bentz (Dr. William Bentz), and Gia Leven (Ronald Leven); and his granddaughters, Alexandra Sickels, Nina Carlino, and Natalie Leven. He is preceded in death by his brother, Bobby Negri, and his sister, Eleanor Barneck. Son of the late Michael and Rose Negri. Funeral services were held privately. Those wishing to honor Joe’s memory may contribute to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a charity he loved.