Negri died on Saturday, May 30, of natural causes.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Handyman, jazz guitar virtuoso Joe Negri, dies just days before 100th birthday

Negri died on Saturday, May 30, of natural causes.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

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June 1, 2026 9:01 a.m. ET

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Betty Aberlin, Fred Rogers, and Joe Negri on 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'. Credit:

- Joe Negri, the jazz musician who became a household name on *Mister Rogers' Neighborhood*, has died at 99.

- Negri played Handyman Negri, the fix-it man in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, for the show's entire run from 1968 to 2001.

- "He was the kindest man. I think, comparing him to Fred Rogers, they were both so kind, and he had a good sense of humor," said David Newell, who played delivery man Mr. McFeely on *Mister Rogers',* to CBS Pittsburgh.

Joe Negri, the jazz musician who became a household name thanks to his role as Handyman Negri on *Mister Rogers' Neighborhood*, has died. The guitar virtuoso died days before his 100th birthday.

Negri's oldest daughter, Lisa Negri, confirmed the news to local Pittsburgh outlet TribLIVE, sharing that her father died of natural causes. The family had been preparing to celebrate his centennial on June 10.

Fred Rogers Productions also shared their grief in a obtained by PEOPLE. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Joe Negri, a beloved member of the *Mister Rogers' Neighborhood* family whose warmth, incredible musical talent, and gentle spirit brought endless joy to viewers for decades," the organization said. "As Handyman Negri, Joe taught children that everyone's contributions matter, and off-screen, his mastery of jazz and dedication to education inspired countless musicians."

"Our hearts go out to Joe's family, friends, and the generations of neighbors who loved him," the statement finished.

Joe Negri performs during the 2011 Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 5, 2011.

Douglas Mason/Getty

Negri starred in *Mister Rogers' Neighborhood* as the fix-it man in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe for the show's entire run from 1968 to 2001, alongside Fred Rogers' titular character.

The role was definitely a stretch of the imagination for Negri, who revealed in a previous interview with KDKA-TV that he wasn't handy at all in real life, per CBS Pittsburgh. "I said, 'Fred, I'm not handy at all. I can't even hammer a nail.' And he said, 'Don't worry about a thing, it's going to be all pretend,' " he insisted.

"I'm glad he gave me the music shop because it gave me a really good opportunity to utilize my music," Negri told the station of running Negri's Music Shop on the show. He ended up performing alongside musicians including Johnny Costa, Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis.

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Negri, a Pittsburgh native, had been a musician since he was a child according to TribLIVE. Born in 1926, he began performing on the radio at just 3-years-old before playing guitar at age 8, and touring with swing bands across the country by 16.

Off stage, Negri was also an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and Carnegie Mellon University for decades, teaching students how to play jazz guitar. He retired from the University of Pittsburgh after nearly 50 years in 2019, but carried on working at Duquesne, where he founded the jazz guitar program, until 2022, according to the outlet.

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David Newell, Negri's costar on *Mr. Rogers'* who played delivery man Mr. McFeely, was among those paying tribute to the late musician, per CBS Pittsburgh. "What I am feeling is a loss of a good friend that I've known over these many years," Newell told the outlet. "He was the kindest man. I think, comparing him to Fred Rogers, they were both so kind, and he had a good sense of humor."

"The Joe I knew was what you saw on television," Newell added. "This is helping me a lot, talking about Joe, because of the good memories I have with him. And that's one thing that you'll always have of someone: the memories that they can't take away from you. That's how I think I'm dealing with Joe's death."

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