Former pressman and handyman enjoyed music

BERNARD PAUL STREILY SR. March 21, 1931 - July 31, 2017

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bernard Paul Streily Sr. worked for decades on newspaper presses, built decks with his neighbor Roy Hoover around his Crafton Heights neighborhood and enjoyed fine dining.

Growing up, he would ask his mother for potatoes to give to those in need on Mount Washington. And he always enjoyed music.

Mr. Streily died Saturday at his home in Crafton Heights of complications from kidney failure, listening to the Ink Spots and Willie Nelson. He was 86.

“He loved music. … There was always music in the house,” said his son, Michael Streily. “As soon as they brought him in the house,” for palliative care, “he asked, ‘Can you get my CDs?’ ”

Mr. Streily’s wife, Shirley, described him as a “true gentleman.” When they met at a ice skating rink in Olympia Park in Duquesne Heights in January 1948, Mr. Streily offered to walk her home, not realizing she lived in Beechview and had to take two streetcars home. One broke down on Mr. Streily’s trip home.

“He fell in love with her that night,” said Michael Streily, “but he had walk home in the cold.”

They married in 1951 and continued skating in Olympia Park.

Mr. Streily took a job selling suits at Horne’s before he started working for the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. Over the next 45 years, he worked in printing for the Sun-Telegraph, The Pittsburgh Press and, finally, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“He ended up being the superintendent of the composing room, and always kept the union card,” his son said.

One of his first jobs was sorting laundry when he was 14. Eventually, his son said, he was tasked with driving the laundry truck.

“My dad, at 14, without a license, was driving a laundry truck,” said Michael Streily. The day he turned 16, “he went to take his test, and they flunked him because they knew he was out driving illegally.”

While he was attending St. Mary of the Mount High School, he sometimes drove some nuns back to their convent. One day, during his senior year, a nun pulled him aside to talk about his report card.

“‘Bernie,’ she said, ‘you got an F in math. But you’ve driven me and my sisters back to the convent, and I don’t agree with this,’” said Michael Streily, “and she changed the F to a C.”

After accepting a job at the Sun-Telegraph, Mr. Streily and his family took frequent trips to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Once, when he was there in 1972, he saw an artist offering portraits. and was inspired by the movie “Harvey.” He asked the artist to draw a portrait of him with Harvey, the invisible rabbit from the 1950 film.

Today, a 9-square-foot portrait of Mr. Streily hangs in the house, behind him a 6foot-3-inch tall rabbit draping its arm over his shoulder.

Mr. Streily’s family said he was someone who always looked out for others.

“He wasn’t active in the sense that he belonged to any organizations,” said Michael Streily, “but he always tried to help his neighbors, and would always make himself available.”

The family suggests memorial donations to the Light of Life Rescue Mission, 913 Western Ave., North Side.

In addition to his wife and son, Michael, of Crafton, Mr. Streily is survived by a daughter, Cheryl, of Valparaiso, Ind.; a son, Bernie Jr., of Kennedy; three grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.