Celebrities Beloved 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' Actor and Musician Dead at 99 By Emy LaCroix, Joe Negri, famous for his role as Handyman Negri on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood over four decades, died on Saturday, May 30, at 99 years old, according to Trib Live. The actor and musician was just days away from his 100th birthday, which would have been on June 10. Negri's oldest daughter, Lisa Negri, shared the news with the outlet, saying that her father died of natural causes as they were preparing for a centennial birthday celebration with friends and family. Fred Rogers Productions confirmed the news to KDKA-TV on May 31. Negri, who owned Negri’s Music Shop in Rogers' "real" neighborhood, also voiced several other characters in the Land of Make-Believe in the beloved children's TV show from 1968 to 2001, including Father Elephant, Joe Bull, Papa Bear, Storyteller, The Wind, and W.I. Norton Donovan. He appeared in 332 episodes. Negri's career in TV was mostly limited to Mr. Rogers, save for a few gigs in the music department as a musician or arranger. That's because his first love was music and jazz guitar. The Pittsburgh native began playing music at just 8 years old, and he became a nationally touring swing musician as a teenager. In Pennsylvania, Negri was a musician, educator, and TV performer. He also served as an adjunct professor of Jazz Guitar at Duquesne University and University of Pittsburgh: Negri nearly skipped out on the role that made him famous, reflecting on how Fred Rogersoriginally convinced him to do the show in a previous interview.