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Kaup remembered as a fun friend and ‘treasurer of life’

Rex Kaup is being remembered as a fun guy and a key player in the local business community.

Kaup, 68, Altoona, lead partner at Young, Oakes, Brown & Co. PC since 1979, died Sunday in Pittsburgh, where he was being treated for lymphoma.

A 1970 graduate of Altoona Area High School and a 1973 graduate of Penn State with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Kaup received many awards over the years, including the Blair County Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence in 2019.

“I really can’t think of anyone who enjoyed life more than Rex Kaup,” Chamber president/CEO Joe Hurd said. “When he received our Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence two years ago, he turned that event into a party and invited anyone who wanted to attend. As incredibly mirthful as Rex was, he was among the most trusted people in his profession.

“A lot of business people will feel some level of financial insecurity with Rex’s passing. A lot more will have lost a valued friend.”

Kaup did accounting work for the McLanahan Corp., Hollidaysburg, for more than 40 years.

“I really respected him for his ethical treatment for every business he would work with,” Chairman of the Board Mike McLanahan said. “He examined every detail of the business. He helped us significantly. We would work with Rex when looking at other companies to acquire.”

Kaup also did a lot of work for the Hite Company and area non-profit organizations.

“He served as treasurer for many boards and helped them in various ways,” former Chairman of the Board Lee Hite said. “He never charged anything. He just wanted to do it. He was the treasurer of everything, the treasurer of life.”

“He helped in a lot of ways behind the scenes,” Hite said. “He was always very well respected by the people he dealt with, not just in the local area but also from the competition. He will be missed.”

David Scott, a partner with YOBCO, said Kaup was a fun guy to be around.

“He loved working and working in this business,” Scott said. “This is a major blow to the community. He was very unique. I worked under him my first 10 years here as an accountant, and he helped me a lot as a young guy. He was a major player in the business community.”

Steve Sheetz, long-time Sheetz Inc. executive and now chairman of the Sheetz Family Council, said Kaup was a hard worker.

“He worked until the end,” Sheetz said. “He just loved life. He was a jovial spirit. He was always filled with energy. He loved his family, he had so many friends. He was a super guy.

“Rex was an adviser to a lot of people, not just as an accountant. Everybody knew Rex and loved Rex. He was so well trusted. People relied on him for good advice from the business perspective.”

Local Realtor Richard Johnston knew Kaup through their many years with the Altoona Rotary Club.

“He had been treasurer for about 40 years, and I have been secretary for about 30 years,” Johnston said. “We would sit next to each other for years. He was a good Rotarian. He did a lot of work for the Rotary Club. He was very faithful to the club; the club will really miss him. I think almost every businessman in town knew him. He was always out in the community doing things.”

Funeral arrangements are pending.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.

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