Mentor, longtime photographer at The Pittsburgh Press, Post-Gazette

Robert “Bob” Pavuchak retired as a Pittsburgh PostGazette photographer in 2006 but, as a testament to the length and breadth of his career, Mr. Pavuchak’s photo credit was still appearing in the newspaper this month.

The image was a photograph of State Correctional Institution Greene, taken years earlier, to illustrate a news report about a prison guard falling ill after inspecting an inmate’s cell.

Over a 41-year career at The Pittsburgh Press, then at the Post-Gazette, Mr. Pavuchak documented the full spectrum of lives and events in Western Pennsylvania, from the quiet of a foggy morning on Lake Arthur to the iconic portrait of a Steelers great that still can be found in a Google image search.

Mr. Pavuchak, 79, died Sunday at his West Mifflin home following a three-year battle with stomach cancer.

While at the Press, Mr. Pavuchak specialized in spot news coverage, photographing everything from civil disturbances to presidential visits. Later in his career, he was based in the Washington County bureau for the papers, recording the daily lives of its residents through the lens of his camera.

He had a special affinity for visuals that included the American flag or that conveyed the spirituality that meant so much to him personally, co-worker David Templeton said.

“But he also went into coal mines, climbed coal waste dumps, forged streams and rode on hay wagons — whatever it took — to capture the spirit of the people and places he was photographing,” he said. “The man was brilliant in finding that one spot in a tree, atop a ridge or a rock, knee deep in a lake or, in one memorable case, the south end of a northbound cow to get the best angle to tell the story.”

Post-Gazette editorial writer Joe Smydo, who also worked with Mr. Pavuchak in the Washington County bureau, recalled that his colleague always kept a camera on the floor beside him as he drove, “ready to be used at a moment’s notice.”

“Working with him was a joy, partly because he provided a second set of eyes and ears and helped me not to miss things when we did breaking news together,” Mr. Smydo said.

Mr. Pavuchak worked at The Pittsburgh Press from 1965 to 1993, when the paper closed. He was among those who then joined the Post-Gazette until his retirement.

As managing editor for much of Mr. Pavuchak’s career, Maddy Ross was technically his supervisor, but her best memories come from working with him during her early reporting days in the 1970s, when she witnessed his storytelling skills firsthand.

“I learned more from him than I learned in all the years of school studying journalism,” she said. “He was really a mentor for me in many ways.”

She called his death “a huge loss for me personally, but it’s also a loss for journalism because that wisdom and skill set may never be repeated.”

Among his professional accolades, Mr. Pavuchak was named photographer of the year by the local news photographers association in 1976. In what he later described as his “most famous” photograph, Mr. Pavuchak captured Steelers Hall of Famer Joe Greene sporting Super Bowl rings on each finger while signaling “one for the thumb.”

Besides his work as a photojournalist, Mr. Pavuchak volunteered as an Allegheny County sheriff’s reserve deputy for 37 years, working security detail at charitable public events.

He was also a Boy Scout troop leader.

Mr. Pavuchak is survived by his wife, Audrey; his son, Bob “Pav” Pavuchak of Kingsland, Texas; his daughters, Ann Pippy of Moon and Amber Thomas of North Huntingdon; a sister, LaVerne Ackerman of Cincinnati; 10 grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.

Friends will be received from noon to 3 and 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home Inc., 301 Curry Hollow Road, Pleasant Hills. A memorial service is planned for noon Saturday at the funeral home.

The family requests memorial contributions to the Variety — the Children’s Charity “My Bike” program, which provides adaptive bikes for children with disabilities: varietypittsburgh. or 11279 Perry Highway, Suite 512, Wexford 15090.