Last Chapter Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

Richard Trumka, 72: A native of Eighty Four, Pa., Trumka was the president of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of unions in the United States. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather as a coal miner, working shifts in both college and law school. At the age of 33, he successfully ran …

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Obituaries

Franklin, Cosetti, Mann, Robinson, Hillebrand, Eide

by PQ Staff

Don Franklin, 82: A renowned Baroque musicologist, Franklin was professor of music, emeritus, at the University of Pittsburgh, where he served as chair twice from 1970 until his retirement in 2009. A Willmar, Minn. native, he was the youngest trumpet player to play taps at the Willmar Cemetery and was a gifted pianist who earned …

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Obituaries

Wertz, Wilde, Zappala, Rosenberg, Rangos, Blasier

by PQ Staff

Ricki Wertz, 86: From 1959 to 1969, Wertz hosted the popular children’s show ”Ricki and Copper” on WTAE. Her co-host was a retriever mix who came from a shelter and was Wertz’s own pet, a wedding gift from her husband. She went on to host “Junior High Quiz” on WTAE for the next 20 years …

Wertz, Wilde, Zappala, Rosenberg, Rangos, Blasier Read More »

Obituaries

Wactlar, Henderson, Figgins, DeFazio, Corry, Toker

by PQ Staff

Howard Wactlar, 77: During a career of more than 50 years at the National Science Foundation and Carnegie Mellon, where he arrived in 1967 and went on to hold positions in both the School of Computer Science and the Robotics Institute, Wactlar developed an impressive array of technology and software engineering systems. He helped to …

Wactlar, Henderson, Figgins, DeFazio, Corry, Toker Read More »

Obituaries

Flannery, Verrilla, Kudzma, Washowich, Spinabelli, Davis

by PQ Staff

Tom Flannery, 75: A former Dartmouth football and rugby player who was 6’4” and 230 pounds, Flannery blended an imposing physical presence with a warm, fun-loving personality to become the top headhunter in Pittsburgh. In his role leading the Pittsburgh office of international search firm Boyden, he placed key top executives at countless local corporations …

Flannery, Verrilla, Kudzma, Washowich, Spinabelli, Davis Read More »

Obituaries

Rooney, Clarke, Habegger, Miller, Thornburgh, Gale, Robinson

by PQ Staff

Patricia Rooney, 88: Married to the late Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney for 65 years and one of four matriarchs of longstanding NFL families, Mrs. Rooney combined her love of family with a commitment to many causes, especially in the North Side neighborhood where she grew up and lived until her death. The mother of nine …

Rooney, Clarke, Habegger, Miller, Thornburgh, Gale, Robinson Read More »

Obituaries

Barnes, Rogers, Dawson, Houston, Cavalier, Taube, Feeney

by PQ Staff

J. David Barnes, 91: After graduating from Harvard Law in 1954, Mr. Barnes spent two years in the Army and then joined Mellon Bank. He retired 30 years later as the chairman and chief executive officer. Active on many corporate and philanthropic boards through the years, he was especially fond of the Ellis School, helping …

Barnes, Rogers, Dawson, Houston, Cavalier, Taube, Feeney Read More »

Obituaries

Mowod, Twerski, Sommers, Schano, Connelly, Burke

by PQ Staff

Tony Mowod, 85: The longtime host of the WDUQ jazz program “Nightside” and founder of the Pittsburgh Jazz Society, Mr. Mowod grew up in the Hill District surrounded by jazz. His parents ran a restaurant, and he would go on to own several including the Vogue Terrace Dinner Theatre, which burned down after one production …

Mowod, Twerski, Sommers, Schano, Connelly, Burke Read More »

Obituaries

Remembering Prominent Pittsburghers Who Passed Away in 2020

by PQ Staff

We’ve said goodbye to many influential Pittsburghers this year. Remember those who have passed away and their impact on the region—and the world—in this compilation of our Last Chapter department. Editor’s note: After we published this compilation, a reader astutely asked, “Why would Paul O’Neill, 72nd Secretary of the Treasury, CEO of Alcoa for 13 …

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Obituaries

Springer, Dickerson, Fink, Betters, Cozewith, Smith, Piatt

by PQ Staff

Eric Springer, 91: A man of erudition, letters and the law, Springer was a founding partner of the Pittsburgh law firm Horty, Springer and Mattern. He was an avid writer who was involved in the arts, civic progress and social justice. He was the first black president of the Allegheny County Bar Association and former …

Springer, Dickerson, Fink, Betters, Cozewith, Smith, Piatt Read More »

Obituaries

Last Chapter, Fall 2020

by PQ Staff

Judge John Corbett, 73: Corbett lost the use of his body from the chest down after a diving accident when he was 15. Despite that, he became a distinguished jurist and lawyer, once arguing a case before the Supreme Court. After Pitt Law School, he and two classmates with disabilities formed the Downtown firm of …

Last Chapter, Fall 2020 Read More »

Obituaries

Wymard, Carreau, Sepic, Leberman, Cibik, Goldstein

by PQ Staff

Joe Wymard, 84: Though he started his career as a corporate lawyer, Wymard found his calling in family law and became known for his feminist perspective and dogged persistence in divorce cases representing women. He showed the same passion for the arts, in particular the Pittsburgh Symphony, hosting an annual fundraiser at his Florida home …

Wymard, Carreau, Sepic, Leberman, Cibik, Goldstein Read More »

Obituaries

Nathanson, Cannon, Jansons, Hartford, Wolf, Armstrong, Siewers, Goodfriend

by PQ Staff

Harvey C. Nathanson, 83: Nathanson was chief scientist for Westinghouse Research Labs, pioneering numerous technologies including micro-electro mechanical (MEMS) devices. An electrical engineer, he had more than 50 patents and was honored with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Millennium Medal. Glenn Cannon, 72: Cannon was a dedicated and successful public servant, leading emergency …

Nathanson, Cannon, Jansons, Hartford, Wolf, Armstrong, Siewers, Goodfriend Read More »

Obituaries

Remembering Prominent Pittsburghers Who Passed Away in 2019

by PQ Staff

We’ve said goodbye to many influential Pittsburghers this year. Remember those who have passed away and their impact on the region—and the world—in this compilation of our Last Chapter department. Carol Massaro, 79: A mother of four, she raised nearly $1 million for Alzheimer’s research after the disease took her late husband, contractor Joseph A. …

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Obituaries

Fisher, Roseman, Ziegler, Stein, Roderick, Hillenbrand, Pessolano, Booth

by PQ Staff

Dr. Bernard Fisher, 101: Dr. Fisher was a giant in the field of breast cancer, leading large-scale randomized clinical trials that revolutionized understanding and treatment of the illness. His earlier surgical work included performing the first kidney transplant in Pittsburgh and doing pivotal work that cleared the way for future liver transplantation. Believing that data …

Fisher, Roseman, Ziegler, Stein, Roderick, Hillenbrand, Pessolano, Booth Read More »

Obituaries

Zuberbuhler, Schwalb, McCormick, Brown, Wolosik, Burnett, Malezi

by PQ Staff

James Robert Zuberbuhler, MD, 89: Pediatric cardiology hadn’t evolved into a medical field in 1967, when he was appointed director of the new department at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a position he held for nearly three decades. Dr. Zuberbuhler was a master diagnostician when doctors had little more than a patient’s medical history and …

Zuberbuhler, Schwalb, McCormick, Brown, Wolosik, Burnett, Malezi Read More »

Obituaries

Fine, Flaherty, Yee, McHugh, Fisher, Busis

by PQ Staff

Milton Fine, 92: The son of Jewish immigrants, Fine made his mark as a businessman, philanthropist and Pittsburgh patron of the arts. He was raised in East Pittsburgh, where his father raised a family as a tailor. At 18, he was an Army sergeant, leading men into combat during World War II. After practicing law …

Fine, Flaherty, Yee, McHugh, Fisher, Busis Read More »

Obituaries

Massaro, Weiss, Fralic, Coleman, Hughes, Grunbaum, Hickey, Rich

by PQ Staff

Carol Massaro, 79: A mother of four, she raised nearly $1 million for Alzheimer’s research after the disease took her late husband, contractor Joseph A. Massaro Jr. She was a woman of tremendous energy and generosity, serving as an indefatigable volunteer for organizations across the city. Jack Weiss, 85: His father died when he was …

Massaro, Weiss, Fralic, Coleman, Hughes, Grunbaum, Hickey, Rich Read More »

Obituaries

Remembering Prominent Pittsburghers Who Passed Away in 2018

by PQ Staff

From Adam Lynch to Barbara Luderowski, we’ve said goodbye to many influential Pittsburghers this year. Remember those who have passed away and their impact on the region—and the world—in this compilation of our Last Chapter department. Nadine Bognar, 87: The co-owner of Bognar and Company, a supplier of coke and coal for the steel industry, …

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Obituaries

Ross, Vandermade, Limbach, Brinkman, Colville, Fisher, Watson, Lexie, Russell, Gorman, Capobianco

by PQ Staff

Eunice Mercedes Latshaw Ross, 94: Blazing a trail for women in the field of law wasn’t easy for Ross. She became an Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas judge in 1972, when few women held such positions. She was an expert in probate law whose opinions were considered masterful. But when she reported that soon-to-be …

Ross, Vandermade, Limbach, Brinkman, Colville, Fisher, Watson, Lexie, Russell, Gorman, Capobianco Read More »

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 …

Montgomery, Macino, Vento, Capretto, Marcu, Widdoes, Luderowski Read More »

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 …

Davis, Klausing, Donatelli, Lynch, Heinz, Sachs, McEachran, Scully, Sammartino Read More »