Kyle Kupensky

Kyle Mark Kupensky, former local drummer, employee at Mr. D’s Food Fair, and supportive husband and father, died on November 12, 2021. He was 68.

Born on February 14, 1953 in Sharon, PA, to Julia Korp (Korab) Kupensky and Samuel Kupensky, Kyle grew up in, first, Farrell, PA, then Masury, OH. He attended Sacred Heart School and Brookfield High School, where he graduated in the class of 1971.

In 1978, Kyle married Diane Taczak, who met while at Brookfield High School. As a couple, they enjoyed 51 years together, were married for 43, and had two sons: Nicholas and Corey.

In school, Kyle was an accomplished baseball player for Valley View and an award-winning percussionist for the Brookfield High School band. He went on to become a legendary drummer in several bands, most notably High Humidity and Frederick Michael Dolovy & Friends. Throughout his life, he was an aficionado of classic and progressive rock — including Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rush, and Blue Man Group — attended dozens of concerts, and took great pleasure in sharing his passion for music with others. He was especially proud when both of his sons followed in his footsteps as drummers.

Kyle was a welder of railroad cars at the GATX Corporation in Masury, worked at the Vindicator newspaper in Youngstown, OH, and FedEx Ground in North Jackson, OH, and most recently retired from Mr. D’s Food Fair in Brookfield, OH, where he was the dairy and frozen foods manager and scan coordinator from 2003 to 2020. He was known for his work ethic, attention to detail, and special sense of humor. To support his wife’s pursuit of higher education, he proudly took the lead for many years in raising their children.

An avid outdoorsman in his youth, Kyle loved to golf, ski, fish, hike, and camp with his family and friends. He was a fan of the Cleveland Indians and enjoyed coaching little league baseball. There was a special place in his heart for New England, where he liked to climb Mount Katahdin, visit Bar Harbor and the Maine coast, and enjoy lobster. He was drawn to writers who could capture the beauty and mystery of the Maine woods, such as Bill Bryson and Henry David Thoreau. More recently, he and his wife cherished their many cruises to Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, and Mexico; vacations to Paris, Hollywood, FL, and Hilton Head, SC; and day trips to local wineries.

At home, Kyle was an excellent cook and loved to entertain the Kupensky family’s many guests. While he was raised Polish Catholic, he faithfully followed the dietary restrictions of the Orthodox church when cooking for his wife. He also was skilled with the smoker and was known for his Polish kielbasa, chicken wings, ribs, and meat loaf. A regular at the White Rose and Yankee Lake, he enjoyed Killian’s and liked to watch and curse the Cleveland Browns.

Since 2018, Kyle has waged a courageous battle with cancer. His final months were spent riding a golf cart “critter hunting” in his yard, cutting the grass, cooking for his many visitors, and sitting on the deck by an evening fire and listening to music by the pool.

The family is appreciative of the support of Sue Fonagy for her daily visits and perpetual hope; Peggy and Bob Curtin for their generous gifts and infectious personalities; oncologist Dr. Zenia El Amil for her tenderness and persistence throughout Kyle’s treatment; Dr. George Ellis for being Kyle’s long-serving primary care physician; and St. Elizabeth’s Palliative Medicine team and Hospice of the Valley for their outstanding care in his final days.

Kyle is survived by his wife Diane (Taczak) Kupensky; sons Dr. Nicholas Kupensky and wife Elena of Colorado Springs, CO, and Corey Kupensky, partner Morgan, and her son Cooper of Sharon; and two brothers, Kevin Kupensky and wife Paula of Bradenton, FL, and Kirk Kupensky of Masury. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Samia and Sonali.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Community Church in Vienna, OH, at 9:30 am on December 4th, 2021 with masks required. Family will greet friends at the church following the memorial mass. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held 12 pm – 4 pm for fully vaccinated guests at Tiffany Manor in Brookfield for friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be sent to Buhl Park in Sharon; any local high school percussion band fund in his honor; or the Corporate Angel Network (CAN), an organization that helps cancer patients access treatment by arranging free travel on a corporate aircraft. On his last vacation to Hollywood, Kyle had a medical emergency and was unable to fly home on a commercial airline: CAN flew him home free of cost.