Bill Allan Obricki's Obituary
William Allan Obricki passed away on February 3rd, 2020 at the age of 79. He was the loving husband of Catherine A. (Schemm) Obricki; devoted father of Michael A. Obricki and the late Paula C. Obricki. He was the son of the late Vincent A. and Margaret D. (Bunjevac) Obricki and brother of the late Shirley C. (Butch) Jankowski. He is also survived by brothers-in-law, Robert (the late Peggy) Schemm and Walter Schemm and sister-in-law, JoAnn Schemm. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews. Bill was born and raised on Pittsburgh’s North Side and moved to South Park when he and Cathy married on November 27, 1976. In September, 2018, they downsized into an apartment in Whitehall that Bill absolutely loved.
Bill attended St. Peter’s Catholic grade school on the North Side. He graduated from Connelly Trade School as class Valedictorian in 1958. He received an Associate Degree in Electronics from Penn Tech. After graduation, Bill obtained a job fixing adding machines. About that time, computers were arriving. Seeing the writing on the wall, he got a job at the University of Pittsburgh working on a small atom smasher. After a few years, Bill was hired at the Jones & Laughlin Steel Research Laboratory in Baldwin. He became a Systems Analyst there after reading books on the FORTRAN language. When the steel industry collapsed in the early 80’s, Bill lost his job. He was able to acquire a job doing mining research for a contractor at the Federal Bureau of Mines (now CDC/NIOSH) in South Park. He worked there for 36 years under several contracts. He retired in 2018 at the age of 78 at the end of a contract.
Bill was a political “junkie.” In 1972, he won a spot as a PA Delegate to the Democratic National Convention supporting Governor George Wallace. For several months, he traveled with the Governor and introduced him at rallies. If shooting started, Bill’s job was to push the Governor under the bulletproof podium and lay on top of him for protection. Ironically, Bill had to return home two days before the Governor was shot at a rally paralyzing him. After unsuccessful attempts at running for Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA State Senate, and PA State House, Bill was elected to a six year term as Township Supervisor in South Park in the early 80’s. After his term ended, he retired from politics but never lost that interest staying up into the wee hours of the morning each election night to watch the returns.
Bill always loved his Catholic Faith. He served on the parish council at St. Peter’s for years (with Art Rooney Sr.). when the church started making changes, Bill made the decision to leave and become part of a group committed to the Latin Mass. In 1991, he was instrumental in helping to bring the Society of Saint Pius X to Pittsburgh. He started a bookstore to educate Catholics and to help raise funds for the church. This started with one title. He turned profits into more titles to make it into what it is today – one of the largest Catholic bookstores of the Society of Saint Pius X in the country. It truly was a labor of love for him. Bill followed his Faith more deeply with a strong devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and as a member of the Third Order SSPX and Militia Immaculatae.
Most of all, Bill loved his family. He always said marrying Cathy was the best move he ever made – even though he had to wait for her to grow up to do it! He was one happy daddy on the adoption days of Paula and Michael. He was always so proud to hear Paula playing the organ at Mass or watching Michael playing table tennis. When Paula was sick, he slept in a desk chair by her bed every night for months. When Michael won the PA State Table Tennis Championship twice, nobody cheered louder than Bill. He beamed watching his son cross the field at Air Force Basic Training Graduation.
Bill will be greatly missed by dear friends David and Cathy Grossi, Christian and Irene Melnick, and Patrick and Laura Vesco. Also missing him will be his “Adopted Grandchildren” Gabriele, Natasha, Sebastian, Claudia, Veronica, Isabela, David, Lydia, Jack, Clare, Rose and Dominic.
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