While having spent nearly two decades as part of the maintenance staff at Kent State, Lonnie Paul Scarlett passed away on Sept. 9 from pancreatic cancer. He was 59 years old.

Scarlett worked as a maintenance supervisor for the university for the past 17 years. He started work at the Kent State campus in 1999.

Mark Claric, a maintenance worker at the Kent State Center for the Performing Arts, has been a long-time friend of Scarlett. They both started working for the campus around the same time.

“He always served, that is why we do so well for our jobs,” Claric said.

Lonnie was devoted to his faith, and was an active member of the Portage Community Chapel in Ravenna. He loved music, including playing the guitar and singing.

“When I first met Lonnie, he was involved (in) our choir. (He) always loved using his voice,” said Mark Miller, pastor of the Portage Community Chapel.

Lonnie also liked to shared his talents through different outreach programs.

“He has (a) special talent for guitar and he looked for opportunities and he incorporated his gift with guitar.” Miller said. “For Kent State, nursing homes, whenever he had opportunities to use his guitar, he would.”

Lonnie was a devoted man and was always available to provide help to others.

“Even on his private time, he did a lot of volunteer work for assistant living centers and senior centers,” said Patrick Kalima, interim supervisor at Kent State. “He was very understanding, very spiritual and likes to help anybody.”

Scarlett is survived by his wife Darlene, who he married 39 years ago, as well as their daughters, Heather and Ashley.

He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer four and half years ago. However, he continued working as much as possible.

“He tried to keep work with cancer as much as he could,” Claric said. “It was Lonnie, he loves his job at Kent State.”