Pioneering businesswoman and philanthropic powerhouse
Pittsburgh lost one of its greatest grand dames of the philanthropic and business communities on Thursday. Nadine Bognar, Pittsburgh native and charitable powerhouse, died at age 87 of heart failure at Mercy Hospital. She died three days after a fire in her home in Mt. Lebanon.
Mrs. Bognar, who was born Jan. 5, 1931, in Pittsburgh, graduated from the Pinkerton School of Business in 1949. She worked in sales with Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. before moving on to a senior sales position at Union Mining Co. In 1957, Mrs. Bognar and her husband, Edwin J. Bognar Sr., became co-owners of Union Mining, now known as Bognar and Company Inc., where she became chairman and CEO following his death in 1992.
“Nadine was a woman competing in a man’s world of mineral supply with support of the steel industry and doing it as well as anyone. She had a blend of intelligence and business acumen mixed with sensitivity,” said Bill Pietragallo, a longtime friend and lawyer for Bognar and Company Inc. “But one of my favorite aspects of Nadine’s character was her appreciation of a good joke, better told in one of the company plants than at a church social hall.”
Andy Masich, president and CEO of the Sen. John Heinz History Center, also recalled his fondness for Mrs. Bognar, who was a great supporter of the organization:
“She saw what people needed; a kind word, a helping hand, a box of chocolate, and, if it was in her power, felt compelled to give it. In her early years as a CEO, businessmen at first may have underestimated her, misinterpreting her generous spirit for weakness. She quickly disabused them of this notion and earned their respect.”
Mrs. Bognar’s reach and influence extended far outside the boardroom.
“Everyone should be consoled for the great loss for our city,” said Ted Pappas, producing artistic director of the Pittsburgh Public Theater. “Nadine, to me, always represented what is the best of what it means to be a Pittsburgher.
“She just made everything she touched wonderful.”
Christopher Hahn, director of the Pittsburgh Opera, echoed this sentiment: “She was the best kind of example for philanthropy that you would hope for. The Pittsburgh Opera wouldn’t be where it is today without her foresight, leadership and generosity.”
Mrs. Bognar joined the Pittsburgh Opera board in 1993 and would go on to be president many times, chairing countless events and personally investing in individual artists, helping them to flourish.
She received several honors, including the Performing Arts Partnership and Achievement Award from Point Park University in 1998, an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2000, as well as multiple honors from the Pittsburgh Opera, including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
Beyond the arts organizations, Mrs. Bognar was deeply committed to education, creating a scholarship for Mt. Lebanon High School students pursuing the sciences and was honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Western Pennsylvania, which recognized her for her own successful battle against leukemia.
The staff at the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department affectionately called her “Mrs. B.” Not only did they enjoy her chocolates, her cologne , the delivered lunches and the occasional Penguins/Pirates/Steelers ticket, but they enjoyed her company. Chief Nick Sohyda called it her “spunk.”
Longtime friend Ritchie Battle choked back tears as she talked about a woman she considered to be “like a second mother.”
“She was a dynamite business woman who kept things going during the decline of the steel mills. Can you imagine what it would have been like to be a woman in that industry during those times? Beyond her incredible intellect, she was a wonderful friend who never wanted the limelight and contributed to our city in so many ways.”
Former Steeler Franco Harris, who reminisced about his regular lunch dates with Mrs. Bognar, added: “When I’m around people of her character, I think of how Pittsburgh is so blessed to have people like her who have given so much to the community and who loved and cared about it so much. That is her legacy. That is the Nadine I will always remember.”
Mrs. Bognar is survived by her two children, Cynthia Bognar of Mt. Lebanon and Edwin Bognar Jr. of Mt. Lebanon; and three grandchildren, Matthew Beemsterboer, Stephanie Beemsterboer and Mitchell Bognar.
“My mother was a tremendous force as a savvy businesswoman and a woman who cared about and gave back to her community. She was my role model,” said her daughter.
Added her son, “Mitch, my partner Christine and I will always lovingly remember my mother for her great generosity, her capacity for great compassion and her whimsical nature.”
Viewing will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Beinhauer Funeral Home, 2828 Washington Road, McMurray, Pa. 15317. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Lebanon United Lutheran Church, 975 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15228.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sen. John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh Public Theater or Hillman Cancer Center are suggested.