Shinglehouse, PA—Kevin J. Dusenbury of Shinglehouse, PA, is announcing his candidacy for re-election for Potter County Coroner.

Dusenbury is a longtime resident of Shinglehouse.  He holds an Associate’s Degree in Mortuary Science from Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY.  He is a licensed funeral director and embalmer, who along with his wife, Patty, own and operate the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home in Shinglehouse since 1984.

His mortuary education and many years of being, first a Deputy Coroner and then Coroner since 1994, give him the knowledge and experience to serve not only the deceased but the families left behind.  The Coroner’s Office and it’s Coroner are a medicolegal death investigator charged with the investigation of traumatic, suspicious, or unexpected deaths.  The Office of the Coroner applies principles of both medicine and the law in the course of the investigation which ultimately determines a cause and manner of death for the person who has died.  Dusenbury has investigated more than 4000 deaths since he began his career as Coroner in 1984.  He has handled every imaginable death, from unexpected natural deaths, vehicle accidents, plane crashes, suicide, fire deaths, drownings, and homicides.

Dusenbury, who considers himself a fiscal conservative, has always given back (long before it was politically the “right thing to do”).  Approximately $85,000.00 in grants have been received over the years for his office due 100% from the work his wife, Patricia, does in her position of Chief Deputy Coroner, a position she has never been paid to serve in.

Dusenbury has several Deputy Coroners who he said are wonderful, caring and ethical people…they all have backgrounds in either law enforcement or emergency medicine and fire service.  Dusenbury said, “our deputies are the best professionals who along with myself and my wife respond to some of the most horrific death scenes one could imagine.  The Office of the Coroner and it’s staff must possess physical strength, character, ethics and a heart and mind that can feel and sympathize with grieving family members on likely the worst day of their lives”.

Through many years of service, Kevin has made many connections and friendships with people he may have never known if not for them loosing a loved one and his office being there to help. From sitting in the hospital for hours while a family drives from their home to be told their child has passed away.  To catch a devastated loved one who collapses in front of you when you go to their home to compassionately tell them there has been a crash and sadly their loved one has passed.

Kevin stated that a great deal of time and dedication is required to serve the citizens and visitors of Potter County who face the unimaginable loss of a love one.

Along with his daily duties, he has for years made himself, his deputies, and his vehicles available to any school who has requested a Prom Promise presentation which depicts the horrors of drinking and driving, with the students playing the roles of victims, parents, and the drivers of the vehicles in the mock accident (complete with wrecked vehicles, fire and ambulance personnel, local Police and the State Police). Dusenbury states, “our goal is to prevent tragedies by stark demonstrations of the dangers of drinking and driving”.

Fire prevention has been another cause Kevin is dedicated to spreading the word on, reminding people to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, checking chimneys, furnaces, and wood stoves, etc.  He said, “I have pronounced friends who have died from malfunctioning gas heaters that leaked deadly carbon monoxide.  There is nothing sadder than going into a home where a fire death occurred only to find a smoke alarm that has no batteries in it”.

Another program Dusenbury brought to Potter County is “Child Death Review”.  Along with other county officials, Human Services, and physicians examine the deaths of children occurring in Potter County.  Death certificates are confidentially reviewed, medical records are examined, and educators and clergy are asked, “what could have been done to prevent this death?”.   The title of this state/county committee would be better called Child Death Prevention.  The bottom line end result is preventing tragedies in the hope we never have to review another child death.

Dusenbury has always been happy to share his Coroner’s office duties and his experiences with students at career day at local schools.  He has also served on Suicide Prevention committees.  In the days before digital publications showing the dangers of underage alcohol use, he delivered hundreds of posters he obtained fro the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. “I would make trips to all our schools as new posters and prevention publications became available”.

One of the saddest things that goes beyond the death of the person I am called to investigate is seeing hurting adults and most especially hurting children.  “I’ve been in homes where children and elderly folks are living without the things you and I take for granted.  I would go home and wonder what can I do to make those children’s lives a little better, a little brighter. I had heard of a gift program that a funeral home had started where people could bring in new, unwrapped gifts to the funeral home in memory of loved ones.  Those items were then distributed by a Toys 4 Tots program in that community.  I reached out to a dear friend of ours, Alice Reese, who along with others had started the Christmas House in Coudersport.  I asked Alice, who knew the needs of our area well, especially at our schools, if it was possible that we help the Christmas House in this way.  We launched our “Gift of Memory” program which just recently marked our 24^th year of collecting toys, toiletries, etc. for infants to teens.”

Kevin is a member of the Pennsylvania State Coroner’s Association, the Pennsylvania Funeral Director’s Association, has previously served and currently serves on several committees.  He is a life member of the Shinglehouse Volunteer Fire Department and is a former EMT.

The continued support from the community is greatly appreciated.  Please visit, like and share my Facebook page, Kevin Dusenbury Potter County Coroner.

Please vote for Kevin Dusenbury, Potter County Coroner, for re-election on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.  Thank you!!!