Albert H. Pharis Jr. 1950-2023

Bert was born Jan. 11, 1950, in Philadelphia, Pa., the first child of June Idella Swartz and Albert H. Pharis Sr. He was raised in Poland, graduating from Poland Seminary High School in 1968.

During high school, Bert was an honor student, a key member of the Poland Seminary basketball team placing as first team center in the Tri-County League, a representative to Buckeye Boys State, earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America and made lifelong friends.

Bert had a successful business career. His management style was thoughtful, preferring to guide rather than issue orders, and he was a mentor to promising employees. He worked as:

Sales manager, Borden Dairy, Youngstown, Ohio

National radio sales manager, WKBN Broadcasting, Youngstown, Ohio

President & CEO, Wilcom Cellular / Sygnet Wireless, Youngstown, Ohio

President & CEO, Logix Communications, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Director, Dobson Communications, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Chairman & CEO, Ortheon Medical, Winter Park, Fla.

Also, he served his community as the WKBN representative for the United Way and as chairman of the Mahoning County Sports Charities Foundation.

Bert was a good man … a loving, strong and generous man. He loved fast German sports cars and was an often-requested instructor at racetrack driving schools. During most of his life, he rode motorcycles, played a competitive game of pool, and enjoyed old red wines and smooth bourbons.

In 1971, a mutual friend introduced Bert to Mary Margaret Chizmar, and although they were together from that first meeting, it took them another five years before they married. Besides his wife, he leaves his son, Robert Poetsch; daughter-in-law, Nicole Mazzone; granddaughter, Maia Poetsch; and grandson, Trevor Poetsch, all of Weatherford, Texas; his sister, Cathy Pharis of Rocky River; two brothers, David Pharis (Emly) of Goshen and Robert Pharis (Ellen) of Seven Falls, Pa.; and two goddaughters, Angela Binder Rininger of Canfield and Jillian R. Lemmo of Asheville, N.C. He also leaves a large family of in-laws, including his mother-in-law, Margaret Meenachan Chizmar of Canfield; many nieces and nephews; his longtime friend, Ralph Binder of Salem; and many friends in Ohio, Florida and Texas.

A party in his memory will be held at a later date, and interment in Calvary Cemetery will be private.

“If I should live forever

And all my dreams come true

My memories of love will be of you.”

John Denver

(special notice)