People Archives - Page 12 of 22 - Pittsburgh Quarterly

It is a hot, unbearably humid day in late August. There are two LED lights, a heavy, Sony XD camera mounted on a tripod and one monitor propped up on the Baughman Trail in Ohiopyle, just beyond the old train station. Mosquitos relentless, sun managing to beat down through a thick canopy of trees, crickets …

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American Spirit

Relentless Russ and the Virtue of a Work Ethic

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

Russ has been at the gym for like, 31 years. “Since 1987,” he says. White New Balance sneakers. Red track suit jacket with the words PERSONAL TRAINER written across the back. Handing people the kettle bells and the medicine balls and the 10-pound weights and the resistance bands and asking for one, come on, just …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Abraham Twerski, 87

by Douglas Heuck

Try and find happiness in everything. And that’s not easy. There are a lot of things that cause you misery. Right now I’m disabled in a wheelchair. I’m dependent on other people for so many things. I don’t like being dependent on people. But I still try and find some happiness in that. I once …

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Arrivals

Cudd, Farmer, Schuler, Buford, Kraybill, Martin, Gunther

by PQ Staff

Ann E. Cudd is provost and senior vice chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, supervising the academic and research operations of more than 700 full-time faculty and 7,000 students. A native of Gambier, Ohio, she comes to Pitt from Boston University where she served as an administrator and professor of philosophy for the past three …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Thaddeus Mosley, 92

by John Beale

Thaddeus Mosley, 92, talks about his work as a sculptor and living a life of contentment. The secret to longevity? Good luck and good genes. I’m lucky that I’ve had good health for most of my life… The biggest thrill, or the most excitement comes from when you conceive of an idea and you work …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Cyril Wecht, 87

by John Beale

In part five of this video series, Cyril Wecht, age 87, shares his path to forensic pathology and discusses what is important in life. The secret to longevity? It’s probably genetics, over which I have no control. My father and mother, who were immigrants, lived beyond their life expectancy, despite the very hard work they …

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American Spirit

Ten Minutes of Lovely

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

“Okay, so I’ll do two hundred of the Hey Rosemary,” Samantha says, tying a white, plastic apron around her waist before opening two, overflowing three-ring binders. “Wait… three hundred Hey Rosemary. We are really low on Hey Rosemary. I need to make Lady Macbeth again… and I’m out of Gertrude! I’m completely out of Gertrude!” …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Patricia Wilde, 90

by John Beale

In part four of this video series, Patricia Wilde, age 90, talks about how she entered the world of ballet and her experiences with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. I was born in the countryside outside of Ottawa, Canada and there were five of us in the family. The first part of the family were all …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Carol Brown, 85

by John Beale

In part three of this video series, Carol Brown, age 85, shares thoughts on choosing a profession, living a satisfying life and building the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The advice that I give my four grandchildren is spend your life on a profession that you really love, something that you genuinely enjoy. And if it’s something …

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Profiles

John Robinson Block, Newsman

by Jeff Sewald

My twin brother, Allan Block, and I are the third generation in a family business that’s more than 100 years old. My grandfather, Paul Block, was an immigrant from East Prussia, and grew up, through his teens, in Elmira, New York. From age 10, he worked for a newspaper and learned how to sell advertising. …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Betty Lane, 80

by John Beale

In part two of this video series, Betty Lane, age 80, shares her thoughts on life and work from her experiences with the Hill House and community. I am excited about being 80 years old. It allows me to do all the things that maybe I couldn’t do when I was younger. I can take …

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American Spirit

The Singing Barista

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

No one complains when they come into Jitters Café in Shadyside for their frappuccinos and cappuccinos and caffeinated hot/iced whatevers and barista Liz starts singing. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”263″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] Deas Vail, Mew, Jon Bellion, Issues…artists with melodic vocals that she can harmonize with while she’s working behind the counter, pouring things like Lavender White …

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Obituaries

Montgomery, Macino, Vento, Capretto, Marcu, Widdoes, Luderowski

by PQ Staff

Ruth Mitchell Montgomery, 101: Five years after she and her husband moved to Pittsburgh for a job with the University of Pittsburgh in 1956, Montgomery started the effort to create the Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society (now Chamber Music Pittsburgh), attracting the philanthropic support to make the dream a reality. For many years she ran the …

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Profiles

Ageless Wisdom: Jim Roddey, 85

by John Beale

In part one of this video series, Jim Roddey, age 85, discusses his contributions to Pittsburgh as a businessman and first Allegheny County Executive. My wife and I came to Pittsburgh to buy a company. We had promised to stay five years, but we’ve ended up being here almost 40. My advice to Pittsburghers is …

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American Spirit

Bob and Fritz Together

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

Fritz is wearing a contraption. Two black, rubber wheels attached to a harness that allows him to bark and roll and bark and roll his way across the grass. He’s been wearing it for four years. Ever since he jumped and missed and fell off one of the concrete steps in the back yard. [ngg …

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American Spirit

Rocky’s World Behind the Diner Counter

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

Where’s Apollo Creed? Oh, hardy, har, har. Like he hasn’t heard that one like, ten thousand times before. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”254″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] “I also get a lot of ‘Yo, Adrian!’” Rocky says from behind the counter of his corner diner in Bloomfield. The counter is short. Really short. Not even waist-high short. “About four …

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American Spirit

Donna’s Dream and a Life of Roller Skating

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

Donna’s knee has been bothering her lately. Which is why she isn’t lacing up her white roller skates right now, the pair her late husband bought for her in 1963 for, geez, it must have been five hundred dollars. The same pair she was wearing 10 years ago when she was 71 and broke her …

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American Spirit

An Antique Point of View

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

Someday, Jim Barricella will retire from antiquing. Well, maybe not retire literally, but definitely do something else with his life. Something other than the never-ending hours he spends at his antique shop, Off the Avenue. [ngg src=”galleries” ids=”248″ display=”basic_thumbnail” thumbnail_crop=”0″] If someone bought the place, Jim would set up a booth and stick some antiques …

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American Spirit

Nate and His Bees

by Kate Benz, photography by John Altdorfer

The bees arrived yesterday, via Two Day Priority, from an apiary in Ohio. Three pounds of them. Five thousand bees and one queen buzzing around in a wooden crate made of scrap wood kinda stapled together. There are screens on either side so that you can actually see the bees. And hear them. All 5,001 …

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Obituaries

Davis, Klausing, Donatelli, Lynch, Heinz, Sachs, McEachran, Scully, Sammartino

by PQ Staff

Nathan Davis, 81: Davis was director of jazz studies at the University of Pittsburgh and a pioneer in bringing jazz education into the mainstream. A tenor and soprano saxophone player, his 44-year tenure at Pitt included creating the Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar, the Sonny Rollins International Jazz Archive, the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame …

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Arrivals

Albrecht, Kinne, Wildermuth, Behre, Suroviec, Sullivan, Chalikonda

by PQ Staff

Chuck Albrecht is the new executive director of the Persad Center, a licensed counseling center created to serve LGBT people. A native of Portsmouth, Ohio. Albrecht comes to Pittsburgh from Florida, where for the past 17 years he was chief operating officer at the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Previously, he was …

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Arrivals

Kelleman, Fech, Kaminski, Thors, Bhattacharya, Crawley, Miller

by PQ Staff

Katharine Eagan Kelleman is the CEO of the Port Authority of Allegheny County, succeeding Ellen McLean. Kelleman comes to Pittsburgh from Tampa, Fla., where she led the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and won that region’s 2016 Businesswoman of the Year Award for economic development. She has previously worked in transit agencies in Baltimore, Dallas …

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