Joseph Rauso, president and co-owner of Lockhart Tire Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pa., died May 6, 2019. He was 82. “Joe will be lovingly remembered for his work ethic,” according to his obituary, in addition to his “love for his yard, especially his fish pond and garden, and most importantly, the love for his family.”
Rauso and his brother, Peter F. Rauso, owned the business their father, Peter A. Rauso, founded in downtown Pittsburgh. In a 2007 story in Modern Tire Dealer that focused on the Pittsburgh market, Joe Rauso said, “This has always been a tough market.”
“I see outsiders try to come in and break up the market and they have a hard time. We don’t even have a sign on our building. People just know we’re here.”
Rauso was an active member of the Tire Dealers Association of Western Pennsylvania who “always put his customers first.”
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elaine, three children, Jeffrey, Debra and Lori, and their families, and a sister, Theresa Pegnato. A Mass of Christian Burial was held May 10, 2019.
View his full obituary here.
