Myron Cope's nephew killed when bike strikes deer

A world-renowned motorcycle safety expert from Squirrel Hill was killed over the weekend in a motorcycle accident in Texas.

Larry Grodsky, 55, owner of Stayin' Safe Motorcycle Training, died after a deer ran in front of his motorcycle Saturday night in Fort Stockton, Texas.

Grodsky, a Gateway High School graduate, had a decades-long love affair with motorcycles and trained celebrities including Ted Koppel and Mike Tyson on safe-driving techniques.

He was the nephew of Myron Cope, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers announcer who retired last year.

"He had a lot of friends in high places, and all over the world," said Grodsky's father, Harold Grodsky, 85, of Monroeville. "Everybody loved Larry."

His mother, Violet Grodsky, also 85, said her son began riding motorcycles while attending Ohio University, where he graduated with an English degree in 1968.

He spent a few years teaching in Ohio schools and doing freelance writing for several magazines before returning to Pittsburgh and opening his training center, Violet Grodsky said.

Grodsky, who was single, traveled the country attending training and safety seminars and was returning from a conference in California when the accident happened. An officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety said he did not know whether Grodsky was wearing a helmet or what kind of motorcycle he was driving.

Grodsky had many friends and valued the work he did for charity, his father said.

He participated in charity motorcycle events and did other volunteer work, Harold Grodsky said.

"That was typical of Larry to always be helping other people and thinking about those who had less or were suffering," he said.

Luke Hingson, president of the Brother's Brother Foundation in the North Side, said Grodsky helped the organization raise money for the victims of the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Karen Dempsey, director of development for Brother's Brother, said Grodsky auctioned off lessons at his center on eBay and raised $2,250 for hurricane victims and solicited another $1,235 in donations for the foundation's hurricane relief work.

"We're very saddened by his death," Hingson said. "He did a lot of great work for us."

Visitation will be today from 1 to 2 p.m. at Burton L. Hirsch Funeral Home Inc., 2704 Murray Ave., Squirrel Hill. A service will follow.

In lieu of flowers, Grodsky's relatives have asked that memorial contributions be made in his name to Brother's Brother.