Machamer, Introcaso, Murphy, Botos, Lagattuta, Nelson, Frank

Peter Machamer, 80 
A dedicated oenophile who penned a wine column for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for 14 years, Machamer was a professor and chair of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Pitt for almost 40 years and the author of more than 100 publications and books. A Galileo Galilei and René Descartes scholar, he earned a degree in philosophy from Columbia University, followed by a MA from the University of Cambridge in England and a PhD. in philosophy from the University of Chicago. Machamer taught at universities around the world, including at the University of Athens in Greece, where he was a Fulbright Fellow.

Sister Candace Introcaso, 69 
She became the seventh president of La Roche University in 2004, and during her tenure expanded the school’s academic offerings, upgraded campus facilities and sold its 37-acre west campus, moving all students, faculty and staff onto the main campus in McCandless. Perhaps the biggest change at La Roche under her leadership was the achievement of university status in 2019, something that was years in the making.  Prior to La Roche, Introcaso, a Sister of Divine Providence, served as a vice president of Barry University in Florida and assistant vice president of Heritage University in Washington state. 

John Murphy, 83 
The longtime director at the Pittsburgh Research Center of the U.S. Bureau of Mines in South Park — the largest research center of its kind in the country — Murphy became a professor and the first executive director of the McGowan Center for Regenerative Medicine at Pitt. In the 1960s he was part of a team with NASA that evaluated the safety system for the Titan II rocket, used for the Gemini manned space program. He led McGowan beginning in 2001 and it grew from a small group of scientists focused on artificial organ technology to 250 researchers. Murphy held two patents, authored more than 90 technical publications, and served as president of the Society of Mining Engineers.

Stephen Botos, 84 
Botos escaped from communist Hungary by leaping from a moving train and crawling through a minefield to cross the border with Austria. He found his way to Pittsburgh, where he earned a degree in precision engineering from Pitt and eventually co-founded and led Aerotech. The automation systems company grew to include seven locations worldwide. Botos was also a founder of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and was an inventor with 11 patents. He was awarded Pitt’s distinguished engineering alumni award in 1981, a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Precision Engineering and an award for developing intraocular lenses from the Allegheny County Medical Society. 

Larry Lagattuta, 65  
He left his job as a corporate executive at AT&T to follow his passion – baking. Lagattuta started Enrico Biscotti 30 years ago in the Strip District when his friend, Sam Patti at La Prima Espresso, lost his biscotti supplier. Today the iconic bakery makes 90,000 pounds of biscotti each year in addition to other Italian treats, all reflective of the heritage Lagattuta loved. He was immortalized in the film “The Bread, My Sweet” and just last year published “My Black Book,” a memoir and cookbook he wrote aboard his 40-foot sailboat. It was filled with the stories for which he was famous, especially in the Strip, where he mentored other entrepreneurs and helped to create a sense of community. 

Garry Nelson, 73 
With a big, strong frame and standing 6 feet, 10 inches tall, wherever he went in Pittsburgh, Garry Nelson was unmissable. He was a dominant collegiate basketball player in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and along with his twin brother Barry, led the Duquesne Dukes to two NCAA Tournament appearances. He averaged 12.8 points and 9.6 rebounds a game at Duquesne and was picked by the Bufffalo Braves in the 1971 NBA draft. He also played pro ball in Italy before earning a law degree at Duquesne. His legal career started in the Allegheny County DA’s office and ended as a sole practitioner. He was warm and gregarious, a good storyteller and writer, and he loved taking road trips on his motorcycle.

Alan I.W. Frank, 91 
The Shadyside home where he grew up was his passion. Designed by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement, and furnished by Marcel Breuer, Frank was committed to preserving the architecturally important residence and started a foundation to support it. In 2019 Rizzoli published a book he co-authored about his home, which was built by his socially prominent parents in 1940. A Harvard and Columbia-educated lawyer, Frank worked in the oil industry and was president of Natural Petroleum before founding his own manufacturing company.