Kevin Lankes Sr.

Kevin Scott Lankes, Sr. passed away peacefully in his home in State College, Pennsylvania on September 13th, 2026 with his family present around his bedside, holding his hands and playing the mellow hits of the 60s and 70s. He left his wife of 48 years to the machinations of his two children, who have vowed to take care of her. She has concerns.

Kevin leaves behind his beloved wife, Judy Miller Lankes, his daughter Becky Lankes-Agnew and son Kevin Scott Lankes II, and their spouses, Sean Agnew and Maeve Montalvo, as well as grandchildren, Sean Agnew, Jr., Lauren Agnew, and grand-fur child, Cirilla Montalvo-Lankes.

Kevin was born in Pittsburgh in 1953 to Edward Francis "Scotty" Lankes, Jr. and Dorothy Marie Stose. He grew up close by in Murrysville where he ran amok through the woods and caves with his older surviving brother Michael Lankes and was introduced to a love of camping by his older sister Patricia Lankes who he joins in death.

He was a multi-sport athlete through school, and a lifelong fan of Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers football. He followed his siblings to Penn State University Park after high school, where he majored in Parks and Recreation. He famously regaled his family with tales of the courses he took there, like campfire storytelling and basket weaving. Once, for a final exam, he was dropped in the middle of the woods, blindfolded, given a compass and a map and told to find his way back.

Kevin worked for twenty-four years in corrections, first for SCI Rockview, then transferring to the federal system and retiring from FCI Loretto in 2004. He worked in recreation, then in education where he was the coordinator for the inmates' vocational education. He became a certified personal trainer and taught health and fitness to inmates, helping to ready them to reestablish themselves in the world outside the prison. Kevin was a fitness guru in the pre-influencer days, and had long stretches of years where he worked out for hours before getting ready for work.

Kevin loved the outdoors and all of its natural wonders and gifts. Over the years, he camped, hiked, hunted, fished, and explored his way through nearly every single U.S. state and multiple national parks and monuments, always with his family. During those adventures he had many near misses, having almost succumbed to a freak buffalo stampeding accident, a spelunking accident, several motorcycle catapulting mishaps, a racoon rampage, multiple legendary bear encounters, and though he was seldom lost in the woods, he was occasionally a bit bewildered.

Kevin was legitimately a medical marvel who had papers written about his unique condition. His own suffering always took a backseat to the optimistic attitude he chose to bring into everything he did. His love for his family was the strongest force in his life. He explained the primary motivation behind his choices as being driven by the dedication and devotion to his wife and two children. He never lost an opportunity to spend time with the three of them, to tell them he loved them, and to tell his daughter and son how proud he was of them. He loved the holidays as they brought the family together every year. Whenever family gathered, Kevin told the most incredible stories, and sometimes, the most unbelievable stories, too. With what he leaves us, we choose to believe.