Those who entered his restaurant became a friend
The restaurant business was in Louis Karish’s extended family, so it was no surprise when he and his wife, Rose, opened their own in 1959.
For decades, life and leisure time at Monroeville’s Overlook Lounge centered around friends — to Mr. Karish, everyone was a friend — young and old, having a drink or a meal, and listening to his endless stories.
“He was on a walker the last couple of years and didn’t tend bar,” said his son, Ken Karish of Plum. “He’d would just be sitting there with a beer and say [to guests] ‘just go grab one for yourself.’”
Mr. Karish, 90, of Monroeville, died Feb. 23 following a cellulitis infection. He and his wife, “my Rosie,” ran the Overlook, famous for its fabulously huge “Combination” sandwich.
“It’s a double-decker sandwich: three slices of bread. On the bottom, there’s ham and cheese, then another piece of bread, then egg, then lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and mustard,” Ken Karish said, laughing.
“With my dad’s appetite, it had almost a half a pound of meat on it. It’s so big most people can’t eat the whole thing.”
And of course, there was beer, and Mr. Karish’s beloved mixed drink. The “Presbyterian” starts with Black Velvet whisky, cut with club soda and ginger ale.
“He had his ‘cocktail hour’ starting at 5:30 every night,” Mrs. Karish said fondly.
His son wryly described Mr. Karish’s annual visits to the doctor.
“My dad did not like his drinks very strong; he drank for conversation and to interact with customers. He’d have four or five drinks a day, and we told his doctor this every time. The doctor would say ‘You need to cut that out.’”
“It was a protein drink, I guess,” joked his nephew, Robert Karish.
Born in Chalfont, Lou Karish graduated from Scott High School and was a Navy Seaman First Class on the USS Shangri-La during World War II. He met Rose Marie DiTommaso, the woman who would become his bride, soon after.
Mrs. Karish’s family was in the restaurant business, and the young couple went to work for her brother Angelo DiTommaso’s place, Angelo’s, on Route 30. Her uncle owned the Penn Monroe bar and restaurant in Monroeville. And Gary Pugliano, Mrs. Karish’s cousin, owns Pugliano’s Italian Grill in Plum.
In addition to running the Overlook, Mr. Karish counted among his many passions following local sports teams and playing golf. He hit the links twice a week for most of his life, much of it at the Alcoma Golf Course in Penn Hills.
“I think he treated life like he did golf,” Ken Karish said. “He said ‘be honest and fair, that’s the gentleman’s game. Also, be humble. You make a good shot, you make a birdie or have a good round for the day, don’t gloat or show off.’ He was like that in business, too. He wasn’t a rich man but he wasn’t poor, either. I think that goes hand in hand.”
Finally, he added “Treat everyone with respect, on the course and in business.”
Mr. Karish did not hesitate to speak his mind, however, and his bigger-thanlife personality was wellsuited toward greeting customers with a handshake and a “what’ll ya have.”
“You were his friend, if you were 21 or 90,” Robert Karishsaid.
“He got such a kick out of people coming in. It was such a pleasure to just watch him be so happy and glad to see everybody,” Mrs. Karish said.
In addition to his wife, son and nephew, Mr. Karish is survived by two granddaughters.
Visitation will be held from noon to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Pugliano’s Italian Grill, 1808 Golden Mile Highway, Plum, with a prayer service from 3:30 to 4 p.m. Funeral arrangements are by the Robert P. Karish Funeral Home, 1300 Fourth Street Ext., Braddock Hills.
The family suggests memorial donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Donor Services, P.O. Box 98018, Washington, D.C. 20090-8018 or Donate.LLS.org.