Longtime Sharpsburg official was dedicated to community
On a wall in the home of Richard C. Panza there is a quote written by poet John Donne from his 1624 book, “No Man Is an Island.”
It reads: “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.”
For Mr. Panza, who devoted more than six decades of his life to Sharpsburg as a police officer, councilman and mayor, it was a reminder that our actions can impact others.
“He just loved this town — he grew up here and never left,” said his son Richard A. Panza, of O’Hara. “He even went to every high school reunion.”
“He was very dedicated to the town and the people,” agreed his daughter Julie Humble, of Jupiter, Fla. “He knew every single person in this town, I think.”
Mr. Panza, 84, died Tuesday at his Sharpsburg home, surrounded by his family, of complications from a recent fall.
He was born less than three months after the St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936, in which 62 people died when nearly 2 inches of rain fell on March 16, 1936, flooding local rivers that were already swollen from melting snow.
“Our grandmother was pregnant with him during the big flood and she liked to say that he had an adventure
even before he was born, when she had to be rescued from an upper story window into a rowboat,” his son said.
Flood waters peaked at 46 feet at Point State Park — more than 20 feet over flood stage — destroying more than 100,000 buildings in Downtown and along river towns like Sharpsburg. It is still considered one of the worst natural disasters in the region’s history.
An athletic boy who loved playing the trumpet, Mr. Panza excelled at football and basketball at Sharpsburg High School, where he graduated in 1954.
A standout wide receiver, he earned a football scholarship to Stetson University in Florida, where he also played basketball with teammates such as the 6-foot-9inch Ted Cassidy, who would go on to play Lurch in “The Addams Family” TV series in the 1960s.
A devastating knee injury cut short his college career and he returned home, where Mr. Panza joined his father in 1957 as an officer in the Sharpsburg Police Department.
A lover of the outdoors, dirt bikes and motorcycles, Mr. Panza cut quite a figure patrolling local streets on his 1955 Harley-Davidson, according to a biography written for a Community Spirit Award that he won in 2016.
Also in 1957, Mr. Panza met Joan Banachoski on the dance floor at the local Knights of Columbus. She would turn out to be the love of his life.
“They were best friends and he completely doted on mom,” Ms. Humble said of her parents, who were wed 63 years ago in January. “He took care of her — even when he was ill he was more worried about her.”
With a young family to raise, Mr. Panza supplemented his police paycheck by starting a business, Expert Window Cleaning, a family-run company that continues going strong, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
By 1965, Mr. Panza gave up his job on the police force when he was elected mayor of Sharpsburg. One of his campaign slogans was: “Young enough to be progressive, old enough to make a decision.”
Being elected at the age of 29, he was considered something of a marvel and even found himself invited to a sit-down interview on KDKA-TV with Bill Burns and Marie Torre.
A member of the state Democratic Committee, Mr. Panza served two terms as mayor before being elected to council in 1973, a role he continued in until 2010 — an astonishing 37 years.
But, even at the age of 74 in 2010, Mr. Panza had more to give. He was elected to two more terms as mayor, finally hanging up his gavel in 2018.
“He always wanted to do more,” his daughter said. “He put up a good fight for the betterment of the town. But he also was ready to retire. His health was getting bad and he just wanted to spend more time at home withmy mom.”
“To him, there was always something more that could be done,” agreed his son, who said his father continued going in to work at the window company every day until his health recently worsened.
In the days since his death, his family has been overwhelmed by well-wishers who have shared dozens of notes and memories.
“Residents from every age group, every walk of life, have reached out to us,” his daughter said.
Sharpsburg Mayor Matthew Rudzki, who succeeded Mr. Panza three years ago, described his predecessor as a giant who “left an undeniable mark on our beloved borough.”
“Richie was always happy to serve as a mentor and I learned many lessons from his guidance,” Mr. Rudzki said in a Facebook post last week. “Like all mayors that came before him and all mayors to come, Richie also understood that we are placeholders for the office, stewarding it and our community until the day arrives to pass the torch. I will always be grateful for his leadership and generosity he showed to me from beginning to end.”
Sharpsburg council President Brittany Reno said Mr. Panza knew how to rise above politics for the good of the people he served.
One year, all of his fellow Democratic incumbents lost their council seats, but Mr. Panza persevered, never losing an election.
“Mayor Panza was one of the first people I met when I moved here,” Ms. Reno recalled in a Facebook post. “We didn’t agree on everything, but we did agree on how much we loved the town, how much the people of all ages here deserved to be connected to economic opportunity and quality community programs, and how important it was to check in with people to make sure they’re doing all right, regardless of politics or petty interpersonal tensions.
“The man knew how to ask questions, how to show he cared, and how to listen. He loved his family, this community, and the people in it with everything he had.”
Known for his hilarious jokes, his sweet tooth and his fondness for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren — who were often seen in his large pickup truck on their way to get ice cream — Mr. Panza was a caring man who could always be counted on for sage advice, Ms. Reno said.
She related a story about a time he pulled up to her home, shortly after she’d been elected to council.
“He slipped this envelope through the truck window to me one day when I was out working in the yard,” recalled Ms. Reno.
In it was a clipped newspaper column with a list of resolutions written by an unknown author.
Mr. Panza highlighted a couple of entries, including the final one: “What counts most about success is how a person achieves it.”
Along with his wife, his son and his daughter, Mr. Panza is survived by his other daughters Holly Panza, of Verona, and April Bear, of Argyle, Texas; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his daughters Bonnie Bokor and Robin Panza. His funeral was Saturday. Memorial donations are requested to: Roots of Faith, 800 Main St., Sharpsburg, PA 15215.