OBITUARY: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 23, 2020, written by Joe McGonigal: Joe Colombo ventured to New York City in late January to watch Billy Joel perform at Madison Square Garden. Mr. Colombo, a traveler and avid music fan later in life, went with friends. One of those friends, Tony Colucci, noticed something off about their trip. - “It was odd because COVID-19 wasn’t as prevalent,” Mr. Colucci said, noting that people around the city were wearing masks. The United States’ first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus was reported Jan. 21, four days before the concert. “We didn’t think anything of it. We just thought, ‘OK, people are just being safe.’” - That Billy Joel concert was the last show Mr. Colombo attended, Mr. Colucci said. Two months later, Mr. Colombo, of Ross, tested positive for COVID-19. He died of the virus April 21 at Allegheny General Hospital. The 56-year-old is survived by his sister, Karen Lewis, and her two children, Mollie and Gregory. - Ms. Lewis said her brother, a North Hills High School graduate who “could be a friend to anyone,” always came up in conversation one way or another — even in her 20s at bars and nightclubs. “I’d meet somebody and they’d ask me what my name was. I would tell them, ‘Karen Colombo,’ and they’d say, ‘Oh I know a Colombo, do you know Joe Colombo?’ ... It was very annoying at the time,” Ms. Lewis said with a laugh. “But everyone knows him. ... That’s just the kind of person that he was.” - Mr. Colombo’s spirit was uplifting, even while dealing with lifelong medical issues. - Mr. Colombo required a kidney transplant in February 2010. They didn’t turn out to be matches, but 12 friends each volunteered their kidneys, a testament, in Ms. Lewis’ mind, to her brother’s lasting effect on people. Ms. Lewis, a perfect match, ended up donating one of her kidneys in a successful surgery. - Still, Mr. Colombo battled diabetes insipidus his entire life. He was born with the uncommon condition and spent a lot of time at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. The disorder, one that causes an imbalance of fluids in the body, was so rare in children that he was written about in medical journals, Ms. Lewis said. - As a kid, Mr. Colombo wanted to try karate and did it for a bit before having to stop. If he was kicked in the abdomen, it could have been “disastrous,” Ms. Lewis said, considering his disorder. So, Mr. Colombo took a few trumpet lessons in grade school and, at an older age, developed a love for music. - That passion was perpetuated when Mr. Colombo, a nurse, befriended Mr. Colucci, a respiratory therapist, at the old St. Francis Medical Center in 1995. The duo — “Best friends ever since,” Mr. Colucci added — regularly attended live shows at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille and the Fox Chapel Yacht Club, as well as whatever PPG Paints Arena had on its docket. Most memorably at PPG, Mr. Colombo and Mr. Colucci saw ELO in August 2019 and caught Paul McCartney in 2010, when the former Beatlet played the first-ever concert at the then-new arena. - Mr. Colombo and Mr. Colucci planned to see Def Leppard in August and country artist Maren Morris in September. Mr. Colucci said his friend will be with him “in spirit” at those shows. - On March 25, two days after his birthday, Mr. Colombo ran a mild fever and suffered from aches and pains. By the weekend, he struggled with a high fever and had difficulty breathing and talking simultaneously but still communicated by text. On March 31, Mr. Colombo was found at home by friends and family in his bed and unresponsive. He was taken by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was put on a ventilator. - Mr. Colombo’s condition did not improve over the next three weeks, as his body failed to respond to medication. Earlier this week, the decision was made to withdraw treatment. - The family entrusted Mr. Colombo’s arrangements to Schellhaas Funeral Home. There will not be a traditional memorial service due to COVID-19 restrictions, but there will be a celebration of life held at a later date. - “My brother was funny and loved to tell stories,” Ms. Lewis said. “It makes more sense to do it in a fashion where people can come and tell stories about Joe.”