Mt. Lebanon just lost a good guy. Joe Wertheim passed away this evening. Joe was very active in the community. In November, Joe was one of the four write in candidates for school board. He was on the board of the Mt. Lebanon Library. The following is from Cynthia Richey:
I'm so sorry to let you know that Joe just died. The liver cancer was just too much.
He was a remarkable person: kind, generous, and with the biggest heart and a great spirit. He loved the library and all the Friends' activities, especially the Book Cellar. It's so very sad that his life was cut short. He still had so much to give the community. He had been the Friends' treasurer for many years before joining the library board about 13 years ago. He served 2 terms, and was President of the Library board. He then volunteered to be the Friends' President, which he was until the time of his death. A couple of years ago, he was appointed to theLibrary board again to fill an unexpired term, and had just been reappointed in April to another three-year term.
He will be sorely missed by many-- most of all our library family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Elaine and son Ben.
I'll let you know when I hear about arrangements.
Cindy
Cynthia K. Richey, Director
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228-2252
412-531-1912 x211
direct: 412-942-0922
richeyc@einetwork.net
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org
What I will always remember about Joe was how he was turned away at a Joint Steering Committee meeting held between two commissioners and two school board directors. Joe felt that those meetings should have been open to the public, and rightfully so. The Commission stopped participating in those meetings until they became an open forum. Because of Joe's persistence, the first and only Joint Discussion Session was an open meeting, which he attended. Thanks, Joe. We'll miss you.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Yes, I do remeber that.
ReplyDeleteBut more than that, Joe was an outstanding, giving, and considerate citizen, and an even better person.
Lost, Elaine? I think not, we'll always find Joe in the Mt. Lebanon Library!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe.
...or in the Denis. Joe was helping and doing tasks for the Denis Theatre Foundation - even moving tables to the Bognar Building office as recently as June!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe, stand up guy, loving and kind husband, father, son, brother and friend. We need more like Joe in the world.
We'll miss you, my dear friend.
-Charlotte Stephenson