As the owner of a New Kensington tattoo parlor, Kevin Croney left an indelible mark on the lives of those who knew him best. He was resolute in his commitment to his family, his work and the brotherhood he formed at True Image Tattoo Studio. The zeal with which he lived and worked were contagious and left lasting impressions in the communities he considered home, said Cheri Croney, his widow and the mother of three of his four children. “Kevin did what he loved and he loved what he did,� Croney said. “He was so compassionate. He touched thousands of lives. “He was and always will be the love of my life, and the tragedy that took him away from us can never overshadow his life.� On March 13, Croney of Allegheny Township was shot at point-blank range in his shop along Freeport Street in the Parnassus neighborhood after an altercation in the store. He was pronounced dead the next morning in Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison. He was 43. The man accused of shooting him, Christopher Scott Patterson, 44, of Vandergrift remains lodged in the Westmoreland County jail without bail pending an April 2 preliminary hearing for a homicide charge. On Sunday, Croney's friends and family gathered in the tattoo parlor in an effort to put the incident that killed him out of their minds and reflect on the positive impact he had on their lives. About 200 people turned out, and those who spoke on Croney's behalf called on them to continue his legacy by living for others. “Through this whole thing, people have been asking me what they can do for my sister and her family,� said Ben Fitzgerald-Fye, brother-in-law to the late Croney. “What they can do is commit themselves to loving their neighbor and denouncing senseless violence like this. They can choose kindness over anger, decency over discourtesy, light over darkness. That's how they can honor Kevin.� Cheri Croney plans to honor her late husband by ensuring that his name is never forgotten. The vice president of a Kiski Area School District parent-teacher organization, Croney is planning a scholarship in his name for Kiski Area students interested in art, photography or graphic design. She also is searching for a replacement for her husband in a Shadyside plastic surgeon's office where Croney did cosmetic tattoos on the reconstructed breasts of women recovering from breast cancer. On Thursday, she honored her husband's spirit of giving by driving around Pittsburgh and delivering the food and gifts bestowed upon her family to the homeless. It was her way, she said, of trying to rise above “the tragedy that forever changed (her) life.� “People ask me why I'm not angry,� Croney said. “I can't be angry. I have three children I have to set an example for, that I have to be a mother and a father to now. Anger leads to hate and hate leaves to violence — violence that made me a widow and robbed the world of a loving man.� As the inheritor of True Image, Croney said she plans to keep the shop running as another way to honor her husband. Luke Romaniw, one of the artists at True Image, said it is what Kevin Croney would have wanted, to keep the employees together and continue his work. “Kevin had a vision,� Romaniw said, “and we're going to see it through for him. We are all very close here because of him, and we're going to work harder than ever to keep his legacy alive. He was a really good guy.� After a handful of friends and relatives said their piece, the congregation moved outdoors for a candlelight vigil. A solemn affair, it brought tears to the eyes of many who gathered on Freeport Street on a crisp spring night. One of those in observance, a longtime True Image customer, said she'll remember Croney for his friendly demeanor above anything else. “I always got my tattoos from Kevin,� said Anna Marhefky of New Kensington. “He always did great work, and you could tell he was passionate about it. You can't meet a nicer guy. You really can't.� Once the flames were blown out on the candles, emotions washed over Croney as she was received with dozens of embraces and condolences. “I can never forgive the man who did this to my family,� Croney said, “but I won't live in anger. I am going to work to bring the good into this world that I want my children to see. “I will work to prove to them that there is life in this world after death.� Braden Ashe is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 724-226-4673 or bashe@tribweb.com.