Frank J. "Sonny" Vargo, owner of Sonny's Tree Service in Munhall, used to pretend to pull dollar bills from tree limbs to impress children.

"He'd have the kids mesmerized. He'd tell them, 'Money grows on trees.' There are many grown men around here now who remember that [trick]," said his wife, Jeannie.

Mr. Vargo, 62, died at home Sept. 6 of a ruptured artery in his heart.

Besides entertaining children, Mr. Vargo had a large following among elderly women. "They were in love with him. He was tall and handsome, and he'd charm them," his wife said.

Mr. Vargo owned the company, which offered tree removal and pruning services for more than 30 years. His company motto was "We'd go out on a limb for you."

He was well known in the Mon Valley and a regular customer at Falce's Restaurant in Munhall. He met his third wife, Jeannie, when she was a waitress there and they were close friends for 20 years before their marriage; the wedding ceremony was performed at the restaurant by District Justice Richard Olasz three years ago.

"We were inseparable. We did everything together," she said.

Friends were impressed by how the restaurant was transformed into a proper venue for a wedding. A tablecloth was placed over the gumball machine and the guest book was put atop it.

Mr. Vargo visited a Marine recruiter when he was 17 and told him he didn't think his parents would give permission to enlist. He came home later to find the recruiter talking to his father as his mother was cried. His father signed permission and Mr. Vargo enlisted.

He served in the early 1960s, mostly in the Dominican Republic, and was chosen for honor guard duty at the dedication of the USS Arizona memorial in Honolulu.

Another career highlight, which was scary, involved his unit's preparing to invade Cuba during the missile crisis, which was resolved without drastic military action.

He founded his tree service company while working at Mesta Machine for 18 years.

He always remembered his first assignment, removing a huge tree in Brookline. It took a week's work and he received $400.

Mr. Vargo liked watching the news on CNN and Fox and corresponding with his son Bryce, a sergeant in the Marines. He also enjoyed the company of his cocker spaniel, B.D.

Besides his wife and son Bryce, of Camp Lejeune, N.C., Mr. Vargo is survived by two sons, Frank, of Upper St. Clair, and Gregg, of Bethel Park; one daughter, Michele Vodzak, of Peters; two stepdaughters, Nicole Fleckenstein, of Los Angeles; and Cortney Miller, of Zelienople; one brother, Paul, of Wilkins; one sister, Cissy, of Murrysville; and 11 grandchildren.

A celebration of Mr. Vargo's life was held Sept. 10 at Falce's.

The family is asking that donations be made to the Salvation Army for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund.