A public servant without an enemy
Tony Pokora, who worked for decades in local politics and government and seemingly did not make one public enemy, died of cancer Sunday. Mr. Pokora, of Brighton Heights, was 61. The son of a former steelworker who later became a South Side district judge, Mr. Pokora had politics in his blood. “He was so into [ 1972 Democratic presidential McGovern,” recalled candidate Mr. Pokora’s sister, Deborah Schrager of Delray Beach, Fla. “Even though he couldn’t vote, he was knocking on doors. And he was so mortified when he didn’t win. He kept saying, ‘ I have to work harder next time.’” Mr. Pokora, who in his 20s became one of the city’s youngest Democratic Party ward chairs by representing the South Side, never lost that devotion to public life. After graduating George] from South Side Catholic High School, he worked for PennDOT, driving a tow truck to rescue motorists in the Fort Pitt Tunnel. At the same time, he earned an associate degree in business at Community College of Allegheny County, and later spent more than two decades working for Thomas E. Flaherty, who was then the city controller. “He was just a human dynamo as far as personality goes,” said his former boss, now a judge on Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Though often a controversial figure himself, Judge Flaherty said, “I don’t think Tony had any enemies. That’s one reason I had him there. Tony was always the more cautious, conciliatory part of the team. He always kept his cool.” Judge Flaherty credited his office’s his efforts to help residents fight a property tax reassessment, which roiled the city at the turn of former the century. “That was one of the most valuable things we ever did, and that program would not have gotten off the ground without Tony.” After Judge Flaherty was elected aide to the bench, Mr. Pokora ran the office on an interim basis and ran for the post in 2007. But after missing the endorsement with of party leaders by a single vote, he lost to the current controller, Michael Lamb, in a five- way Democratic primary. leading “It was a hard- fought race,” said Mr. Lamb, who said he’d known Mr. Pokora for two decades by the time of the contest. The two traded accusations of insufficient party loyalty and using public resources to campaign. But when Mr. Pokora later became the assistant finance director for then-Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Mr. Lamb said, “We had a pretty good relationship.”
Mr. Pokora later worked for Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner as a fiscal analyst. “He really embodied the concept of public service,” Ms. Wagner said. “He had real depth of knowledge, and he was one of the nicest people you’d ever meet.”
Those who knew him said he was even more devoted to the three children he raised with his former wife, Jody Iannelli.
“He was a lot more than just a father,” recalled his son, Robert, of Los Angeles. “Every part of our lives he could get involved with, he was a part of.” Mr. Pokora was a constant presence at youth sporting events, and active in Scouting and outdoor activities.
“We had 40 fishing poles in our house,” recalled his son. “There was nothing he couldn’t do, and when we’d go out, I’d feel there wasn’t a person he didn’t know.”
A lifelong Steelers fan, Mr. Pokora was an avid collector of sports memorabilia. Among his favorite objects, Robert Pokora said, were a helmet and jersey autographed by members of the Steel Curtain, the standout defensive line of the 1970s Steelers. He often donated items to charity fundraisers, family members said.
Friends remembered Mr. Pokora as a skilled carpenter who built his own grandfather clock, and as an impeccable dresser — notable even beside the dapper Judge Flaherty. “We’d compete to see who had the best tie, and the best cuff links,” Judge Flaherty said.
But Mr. Pokora, who left Ms. Wagner’s office last summer, had been ailing, and his sister invited him to stay with her in Florida. In the fall, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, and the disease had metastasized.
“He gave everything to the city,” Ms. Schrager said. “He should have been on posters for Pittsburgh saying, ‘Come here because you’ll find people like this.’”
In addition to his son Robert and sister Deborah, Mr. Pokora is survived by his daughters Angelica and Francheska, who both attend college in Pittsburgh, and twin brothers Harry of Brookline and Larry of Philadelphia. A memorial service is being planned at John A. Freyvogel Sons in Oakland.