Mentor, Friend, Godfather – Remembering Mike O’Pake
By Joe Scoboria

Like a ship passing through deep water, the death of Senator Mike O’Pake leaves a huge wake for Berks County and so many of us who appreciate his lifetime of service. I stand among a group of people who were particularly close to Mike, and cannot help but feel that our community has lost a component that will never be replaced.

My father’s job brought us to Berks in the late 1960s. My parents fit the definition of “Kennedy Democrats” exactly. My Irish mother was a Catholic school teacher and then principal, my father was a Navy officer who became a physics professor. I remember them speaking so highly of Senator O’Pake at our dinner table during my childhood. Like most Central Catholic students, I learned about Mike’s almost flawless performance there and throughout his higher education and career. Reading Central Catholic has produced many success stories, but none rivaled Mike’s legacy as a poor kid from the Glenside projects who buried his dad as a boy and went onto unparalleled academic and political accomplishments.

Although I went through high school familiar enough with Senator O’Pake to say hello, it was by working for him in college that our friendship began. Senator O’Pake was running for re-election in the summer of 1984 when I contacted his office and was able to arrange an internship. My sophomore year at Penn State Berks turned into a whirlwind of working three days a week in Senator O’Pake’s office and taking all my classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Playing basketball for Penn State Berks, working at a local diner, and college-age social life filled the rest of my time.

Time, I learned from being around Senator O’Pake, is the only resource that is distributed evenly to all of us, but used wisely by so few. The legend of Mike O’Pake’s work ethic is accurate. Anyone who spent time on his staff saw this firsthand. Mike started every day before dawn, and working 12 to 14 hours was routine. I’ve been around bright people and I’ve been around hardworking people. I have never known another individual who was more talented or worked harder than Mike O’Pake.

I recall being of some help to an older married couple from one of the farming communities in Mike’s district and meeting with them on a Friday. When I next saw them two days later, as I bussed their breakfast table at the former Chuck Schwambach’s Diner, the gentleman deadpanned in his thick Pennsylvania Dutch accent “I’m calling O’Pake. He should be paying you more.” Senator O’Pake, who had a great sense of humor, roared with laughter when he heard that story.

Senator O’Pake became part of my Penn State experience. He enjoyed visiting University Park, where I was a tutor for the football team and was elected President of the Student Government Senate. I remember hosting several parties when he visited that had a great mix of students: Berks County kids, student government types, my sister’s sorority, and football players from the best team in the country. Mike could connect with everybody.

I worked on Mike’s Harrisburg staff in the late 1980s and it was clear how effective Mike O’Pake was for Berks. Our county’s legislative contingent and influence is small when one remembers that there are 50 Senators and 203 Representatives. Simply put, in a world of many fish and few whales, Mike was a whale. I saw firsthand the respect reserved for Mike by his colleagues in Harrisburg.

In politics, 1992 was known as “the year of the woman.” Senator O’Pake had a talented opponent with some money behind her. I was selling real estate, and my boss was Bill Parks, a great businessman and community leader, and an active Republican. He had known Mike for many years and so I had his blessing when I was active in Mike’s campaign. That August, Mike was a reader and a guest at my wedding. That fall, Mike won the election in another landslide. Effectively, Mike never had another credible opponent challenge him after the 1992 election.

The next year, 1993, was particularly eventful. I was 28, a young man in a hurry, and I ran for county-wide office, with Mike’s strong support. On the night before the primary election, my wife Rosemarie surprised me with the good news that she was pregnant. Although I lost a close election in November, the birth of our son Joe, in January of 1994, took the sting out of my defeat. Rosemarie and I were delighted to add Mike to our family when he served as our son’s godfather at his Baptism.

Mike went from being my boss and mentor to being my friend and son’s godfather. His active participation in the life of my family is so missed. Mike and my son and I all shared a love for sports, we enjoyed hundreds of ball games together over these past 17 years. One long ago memory stands out. Mike had many virtues, but patience was not one of them. Trying to beat the traffic out of Beaver Stadium becomes a secondary concern when your 4-year-old announces that nature is calling. I believe Mike taught me so much, but I helped him with patience.  Fortunately for sports fans, children age quickly.

The pace of Mike’s life never seemed to slow down until he came to our home for frequent dinners. My wife is a terrific cook and her pasta dishes and homemade desserts were Mike’s favorites. Mike would relax and enjoy hearing about my children’s activities, inspect a variety of school projects, and be serenaded by my two daughters, Katie Rose and Jacqueline, playing their musical instruments.

I have been a Berks County Adult Probation Officer for the past 15 years. Working for the courts has prevented me from participating in Mike’s past four election campaigns. As I distanced myself from politics, my friendship with Mike still flourished.

I mourn for Mike, but know that his great faith in God and his great works will be rewarded. My son Joe was an altar server for Mike’s funeral Mass. As I carried Mike’s casket out of the church, I pledged to honor his memory by trying to serve others every day, in my job and personal life. Mike would think that is the best way to remember him.

One Last Letter of Reference from Mike O’Pake’s Office
By Thomas J. Gombar, Chief of Staff in Mike O’Pake’s Legislative Office

Photo by Dr. John Pankratz

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to provide, without hesitation and with admiration, this letter of reference and recommendation for Michael A. O’Pake, formerly of 1525 Schuylkill Avenue, Reading, Pennsylvania.

For the past 23 years, I have worked with Mike on a daily basis, serving as an intern, legislative assistant, office manager, and chief of staff in his legislative office. I can personally attest that Mike is an intelligent, dedicated, driven, hardworking and conscientious individual.    He is tireless and effective and is a people person.

Mike’s primary duties have included frontline constituent contact – in their homes, churches, places of business, schools and playgrounds. In carrying out those duties, Mike often has had to deal with individuals who are angry and aggravated because they are frustrated with some aspect of government for which Mike is inevitably blamed, but for which he had nothing to do. He always handles those individuals like a diplomat – with caring, compassion and respect, assuring them he will work to resolve their problems.

In addition to his constituent contact duties, Mike also has worked on an expansive array of issues, ranging from senior citizens to children services to economic development to transportation. The issues on which Mike has worked are complex, requiring him to navigate through torrents of competing and often conflicting partisan interests to reach a consensus that works for the people he represents. It is accurate to say that during his tenure with the Pennsylvania State Senate he has helped hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of people. His superlative work has helped: constituents to continue working; seniors to secure the medication they need to stay healthy, businesses to grow; students to pay for college; and, motorists to travel safely, just to name a few.

A few specific examples of his work well illustrate Mike’s impact and effectiveness.  When a major health insurance provider wouldn’t cover heart transplants for two constituents, he convinced insurance officials to pay for the life-saving procedure. When a $90 million business development project was in jeopardy, Mike interceded to secure state grant funding that kept the venture alive and created nearly 1,000 jobs. When bureaucratic inertia blocked needed safety improvements at a deadly intersection, he worked collaboratively and creatively with a Republican colleague to facilitate the installation of traffic signals, reducing the danger of future collisions. And, when a young college student couldn’t afford to pay for her final semesters of college due to the unexpected and untimely death of her father, Mike personally contacted her college and the financial aid agency to ensure that she got the help she needed to finish school.

Mike has a passion for education. His own resume of scholastic accomplishment is impressive – valedictorian of his high school class at Reading Central Catholic High School, academic scholarships and honors at St. Joseph’s College, and recognition for his skills at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Reflective of his own life experience, Mike believes that education is a means to overcome life’s challenges and build a bright future. To that end, he has endeavored to help make a good education available to countless students in Berks County and around the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Whether it’s successfully fighting for more funding for the school districts in his senatorial districts, preserving college scholarships for deserving college students, helping to build state-of-the-art science buildings on colleges campuses, getting grant funding for afterschool homework centers, or setting up scholarship funds with his own money to help disadvantaged youngsters stay in school, Mike knows the value of education and is passionate about helping students achieve.

Mike has a quick wit. He would often rib me about how gray and “follicularly” challenged I am. I would point out to him that 23 years ago when I started working for him I had a full head of dark hair. That would always draw a chuckle among the people in the room. I saw him use his gift of humor to defuse the tension in many a crowd – whether it was a room of rival political factions or anxious constituents sitting across the table from a bunch of state bureaucrats.

Mike possesses superlative oratorical skills. Those skills were honed back in his high school days at Central Catholic where he won a national championship in forensics at the Optimists International competition. The speech he delivered that day, “What It Means to Be American,” was so good that my son Matthew, I am proud to say, used that very speech to win a declamation competition at his school, just a few weeks ago. I hope he can follow in Mike’s footsteps. Mike’s skill with the spoken word and debate captivated many audiences and left many a political rival dismantled on the debate dais. I recall while chaperoning my son’s class trip to Harrisburg marveling at how Mike held court with a group of fourth graders, talking about government, answering their questions, signing autographs, and posing for pictures; he was a star in their eyes. And who can forget the inspiring speech he gave at St. Joseph’s University in accepting the Shield of Loyola Award.

One of Mike’s greatest personal qualities is loyalty. To his family, friends, church and constituents, Mike has always been always faithful. In their times of need, he was always there for them. I will never forget the time I was transported from my home via ambulance to the hospital for emergency treatment. Mike was at the hospital before the ambulance arrived and made sure that the doctors there gave me the best care.

Undoubtedly, the breadth and quality of Mike’s background and experience coupled with his fine personal qualities qualify him for any number of leadership positions in the hereafter – whether it’s as a member of the celestial cabinet, heavenly House, or seraphic Senate. I am proud to be able to call him a mentor, grateful for the opportunity to serve others with him, and pleased to recommend him without equivocation. Our great loss is your great gain. But we cherish him and all the great work he did here. He will do the same for you there. If you need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Thomas J. Gombar

Thomas J. Gombar, chief of staff in Mike O’Pake’s legislative office, delivered this tribute at the Celebration of the Life of State Senator Mike O’Pake, held April 8 at Alvernia University.

A Man for Others: Reflections on Mike O’Pake
By Dr. Thomas F. Flynn, President of Alvernia University
Photo courtesy of Alvernia University

Amidst the joy of last December’s holiday season, the people of Berks County mourned the loss of a legendary public servant, Sen. Michael A. O’Pake. At Alvernia University, where the Senator served as a trustee for almost two decades, we also lost a dear member of our family as well as our most distinguished advocate for the Franciscan charism, or spiritual grace, that is the heart of an Alvernia education.

University communities have many impressive individuals, but iconic figures heroic in virtue, accomplishments, and reputation are rare. For us, as for many others, Mike O’Pake was just such a larger-than-life figure.

As was made so obvious at Alvernia’s recent community tribute and celebration attended by hundreds of friends and admirers, Senator O’Pake was an influential statesman who embodied the best in public service. Most importantly, he was a genuinely good man – a virtuous man – who never forgot his roots in the Glenside projects and cared deeply about people regardless of their background. The principles of Catholic social teaching were the guideposts of his life. Inspired by his faith and the Jesuit ideal to be “a man for others,” he lived his vocation of service and justice-seeking to the fullest.

Among his legislative achievements during a four-decade career of public service, he is best remembered as a tireless advocate for children, senior citizens, crime victims, and those who could not help themselves. He led the charge to protect children through the passage of the Child Protective Services Law in 1974 and by spearheading efforts to implement the Amber Alert Child Abduction Early Warning System throughout the state.

He also sponsored legislation to help Pennsylvania’s senior citizens, including property tax and rent rebate and prescription medication assistance. A long-time leader of the Democratic Party, he was the model of a bipartisan statesman who earned universal respect as a man of integrity devoted to the common good. We are humbled that the Senator selected Alvernia University to house the important papers and memorabilia related to his career of public service.

Mike O’Pake was also a passionate champion of Catholic education – both for elementary and secondary schools and for Catholic universities like Alvernia. He was explicit about how his education at Reading Central Catholic High School, where he was valedictorian, and later at St. Joseph’s University, where he graduated summa cum laude, shaped his life.

With religion, as with politics, Mike was a model for emulation. A daily communicant, with deep religious faith, he carried his beliefs humbly and had special respect for those with values and beliefs different from his own. Another local legend, Albert Boscov, noted that O’Pake’s strong religious faith was one of his most admirable qualities and yet the Senator warmly embraced Boscov, who is Jewish, and others of diverse backgrounds.

Three personal memories of the Senator stand out for me.

I recall his public gratitude to his beloved mother when we celebrated the naming of the O’Pake Science Center, an Alvernia landmark that has helped transform the learning environment, especially for our many students in the health sciences. A former recipient of the University’s highest honor, the Franciscan Award, he was as loyal to Alvernia as any proud alumnus.

His love of children and commitment to educational opportunities for inner city youth came together in Alvernia’s South Reading Youth Initiative, coordinated by the University’s Holleran Center and serving over 50 students daily from South Reading. Early in 2006, during my first months as president, Mike helped convene conversations at the Jesuit Center in Wernersville that evolved into this major initiative, and he then secured the initial funding to launch the program. He was thrilled with the success of this program and will always be remembered fondly as its godfather.

An especially happy memory is the surprise 70th birthday party that Alvernia hosted for Mike, organized by his loyal staff and attended by close friends, some dating back to his high school years. Getting the Senator to campus without telling him the purpose of his visit became easy when we told him the event would honor some of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, for whom he had great affection and respect.

What Mike O’Pake admired in the Sisters was the same deep spirituality and selflessness that marked his own vocation as a public servant. So it is fitting that we remember him not only for his outstanding accomplishments but also for his marvelous combination of wisdom, wit, and virtue and, always, his warm, engaging smile.

Alvernia University
400 Saint Bernardine St.,
Reading
1.888.ALVERNIA
www.alvernia.edu

Celebrate Mother’s Day with some recipes BCL readers learned from their moms!

I have fabulous memories making these delicious treats with my Mom (Lavon Kratzer) for special occasions during my childhood, particularly for big summer picnics and family gatherings. I bite into one and I am instantly transported back to those fun times. Today I carry on the tradition and even had a whoopie pie baking day with my girlfriends!

-Kirsten Deysher

WHOOPIE PIES

Pies:
Cream 1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar

Add 2  eggs (one at a time) and 1 cup of sour milk (make by adding 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar to milk to make 1 cup)
Sift & Add 2  1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 cup cocoa powder

Fold  in flour slowly as in angel food cake. Drop by the teaspoonful on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 min. in a 400 degree oven. Cool.

Filling:

5 tbsp. flour, 1 cup milk

Cook over low  heat until thick, stirring constantly. Beat with mixer for smoothness.  Cool. Cream 1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar and 2 teas. vanilla.
Add to cooled  flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes.
Pair cookies and add  filling!