As an evening security supervisor at the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh for almost 20 years, Pete Corcoran made thousands of trips past dinosaurs, bears, a rhinoceros and famous, centuries-old paintings.

He often made those treks alone, when the lights were dimmed and the museum was closed to the public.

Years before the 2006 movie "Night at the Museum," starring Ben Stiller, Mr. Corcoran would spin tales of dinosaurs that moved and paintings with eyes that followed you.

Family members said Mr. Corcoran mostly told those stories to new guards as a way of breaking them in and because "he loved to tease people."

Mr. Corcoran, 79, of Point Breeze, a dedicated museum employee, died of a heart attack Dec. 15. Saint Bede Catholic Church in Point Breeze was filled with family, friends and co-workers for his funeral Mass Friday.

"Pete was a father figure to all of us," said security guard George Kujovic, 53, of Squirrel Hill, who worked the evening shift with Mr. Corcoran for the past three years. "He touched a lot of people at Carnegie Museum. He made work fun and he will be missed."

Mr. Corcoran often "made work fun" with his dry sense of humor.

"Pete had a highly developed sense of humor," said Pat McShea, 53, of Plum, a cousin who has worked in the Carnegie Museum's education department for more than 20 years.

"When schoolteachers came into the building to work on projects, I often had to take them to Pete at the end of the day because one of his jobs was to stamp parking tickets for reduced rates.

"I'd go in to the security gate and say, 'Hey Pete, can you stamp this teacher's parking ticket?' Instead of just doing it, Pete would sort of glare at the teacher and say, 'I don't know if I can or not. Did she do any work?' The teacher would look a bit shocked, then Pete would smile and stamp the ticket."

Mr. McShea said that anyone who worked at the museum and took a trip to Ireland had to see Mr. Corcoran when they returned because they knew that was Pete's birthplace and he would be interested.

"They would excitedly tell Pete where they went in Ireland and what they saw, and Pete would patiently listen to them," Mr. McShea said.

"Then when they were finished talking, Pete would say to them, 'So, in other words, you really didn't see Ireland.' 'What do you mean?' the person would ask. 'Well, you didn't see Tuam -- my hometown -- so you didn't see Ireland.' "

Born in Tuam, County Galway, Mr. Corcoran came to the United States in his late teens and shortly thereafter enlisted in the Army, serving in Germany. He was actually in the U.S. military before attaining citizenship.

Mr. Corcoran was a past president of the All-Ireland Athletic Club, and attended numerous Irish dances and social functions and, of course, marched in St. Patrick's Day parades.

"It might be hard for some to understand, but he was carrying two flags," said Sarah Corcoran, Pete's wife of 37 years and also a native of Ireland. "He never forgot where he came from. And he was equally proud or more to be in the United States."

Mr. Corcoran worked at several other places before coming to Carnegie Museum, including Sealtest Dairy, Koppers and as a part-time maintenance person at Saint Bede Church.

It was at the museum that he found the job he loved.

"The museum is why he kept putting off retiring," Mrs. Corcoran said. "He wasn't ready to walk away. He really liked the people."

The feeling was mutual.

"Pete seemed more like a friend than a supervisor," said security guard Jane'l Morris, 21, of Wilkinsburg. "After just a short time, it seemed like you knew him all your life."

"Pete was a good leader," said Hubert Ivey, 73, of the North Side, a security guard at Carnegie Museum for 13 years. "He knew how to instruct you and help you without being bossy. He wasn't one to cry. He was humorous, even when things were problematic."

Mr. Corcoran also displayed his special brand of humor outside of work. His children -- Eileen Coughlin, 34; Noreen, 32; Chrissie, 29; and Pete, 28 -- fondly remember the time when he began answering the home phone "City Morgue."

"This happened when the kids were teenagers and their friends were always calling," Mrs. Corcoran said. "It was before cell phones and my husband knew none of these calls were for him. So, he just started answering all the calls 'City Morgue.' "

But there were also important life lessons that Mr. Corcoran taught his children -- like selflessness.

On Mr. Corcoran's obituary guest book on www.post-gazette.com, several former neighbors talk about how for years he shoveled snow and mowed grass for widows and the elderly on Edgerton Street in Point Breeze.

"When he started shoveling snow, he didn't stop at our house or the neighbors. He kept going," Mrs. Corcoran said.

Mr. Corcoran's son, Pete, said the lesson his dad wanted to impart was, "Don't ask for credit or take credit. Just do it."

The youngest daugter, Chrissie, remembers with pride an episode when her dad lent support in a very different way.

It was about a decade ago when Chrissie was on Oakland Catholic High School's rowing team and participating in Pittsburgh's annual Head of the Ohio race. Rowing is a sport that doesn't get a lot of fan support, but Mr. Corcoran decided to try to change that by driving onto a bridge and simply parking his car there.

"And as we passed under the bridge, we heard this booming voice. It was my dad yelling and cheering us on," Chrissie Corcoran remembered.

"He did it just when we needed it most, when we were tiring just a bit. After the race some of my teammates said to me, 'Your dad's voice, it just kept us going.' "

Besides his wife and four children, Mr. Corcoran is survived by a brother, Jerry.