Daryl L. Wetzel

     Daryl LeRoy Wetzel, age 82 of Knox, passed away at Clarion Hospital on December 26, 2025, after a short battle with bile duct cancer.

     Born May 4, 1943, at home in Beaver Township, Clarion County, he was the son of the late William Wetzel and Lula Bashline Wetzel and graduated from Keystone High School in 1962.

     Daryl married his high school sweetheart, the former Helen Slaughenhaupt, on October 4, 1963.

     On July 9, 1962 he started working at Knox Printing Company. He and Helen purchased the business in 1979.  He loved his job and worked there for 49 ½ years, until 2011 when his main machine died and caused him to retire. Following retirement, he worked for the William N. Rupert Mortuary, Inc. of Knox.

     Daryl was a Deputy Game Warden for many years, at that time it was an unpaid position, but to him it was not about doing things for money but about helping out with something he felt strongly about.  He was very active with Knox Little League and Softball, and Boy Scout Troop 56, while his children were involved. 

    He was also very active with the Knox Volunteer Fire Company for 46 years, joining in 1979 as a firefighter and then after open heart surgery, became part of the Fire Police.  He also did the contributing membership for 39 years.

     He was honored to be 2017 Knox Horsethief Man of the Year.

     Daryl loved hunting pheasants and deer, and got his last deer on December 3, 2025.

     He was a member of Journey of Faith Church in West Freedom.

     Survivors include his wife, Helen; son, Jim (Melissa) Wetzel, their children: Jacob (Rachel) Wetzel and children, Archer and Damon (due in March); Daniel (Kenzie Danzer) Wetzel, Makayla Keating and Amanda Keating; daughter, Patty Anne (Dan) Reed and their children: Abbey (Dustin) Young and children, Landon and Kennedy; Korey (Kaylee Novosel) Mills, Danny (Heidi) Reed and children, Selah, Sydney, Josie and Jonnie; Ally (Inoussa Zalle) Reed and children, Raine and Kamari; Mallory Reed and Megan (Douglas Fox) Reed.

    Daryl is also survived by his brother, Carl (Cathy) Wetzel of Butler; sisters, Pauline Wolfgang of North Carolina and Beverly (Dan) Knight of Virginia, and sisters-in-law, Mary (John) Keister of Venus and Sara Slaughenhaupt of Butler.

     In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his step mother, Betty Patton Wetzel; sister, Shirley Monrean; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Wilfred Hartzell and Jessie Servey Hartzell, and brothers-in-law, Miles Wolfgang, Melvin “Jr.” Monrean and Richard Slaughenhaupt.

    Daryl was also preceded in death by his best buddy, Casey, his Brittany Spaniel.

     The family would like to take this opportunity to extend a very special “Thank You” to Clarion Hospital ICU and Emergency departments, Clarion Cancer Center staff, Clarion Hospital Emergency Services, along with Michelle Hinderliter, Ronni Lencer, and Nicole Overlock, his “very special angel”.

     Family and friends will be received from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m., Monday, December 29, 2025 at the William N. Rupert Mortuary, Inc., 430 Mendenhall Avenue, Knox.

     Last call will be given at 8 p.m. Monday for fireman Wetzel by Knox Volunteer Fire Company.

     Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in the funeral home, with Reverend Andy Gundlach and Reverend Dan Myers, officiating.

     Interment will follow at the Mt. Joy Cemetery in Beaver Township, Clarion County.

     In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made in the name of Daryl LeRoy Wetzel to Knox Volunteer Fire Company, P.O. Box 106, Knox, PA 16232; Cherry Run Camp, c/o Don Shaffer, 4765 Ramsaytown Road, Brookville, PA 15825 or Journey of Faith Church of West Freedom, 5787 Doc Walker Rd, Parker, PA, 16049

     Online condolences may be sent to Daryl’s family at www.rupertfuneralhomes

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Daryl L. Wetzel, please visit our floral store.