Rohaley enjoys his life but misses Mon Valley
(EDITOR' NOTE: This is the second of a two-part Valley Export article about Joe Rohaley, an early aviator and businessman at Rostraver Airport.)
Joe Rohaley was active at Rostraver Airport in many ways in the 1960s and '70s, including helping to form the Rostraver Pilots Association.
The organization comprised Rohaley Aviation; Rostraver Aviation, owned and operated by Richard O'Keefe, Robert O'Keefe and Keith Madden and also based at Rostraver Airport; Civil Air Patrol Flying Squadron 1401; Experimental Aircraft Association, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter 45, and other pilots in the region.
The RPA sponsored air shows at Rostraver Airport, and members also provided airplane tours of the Mon Valley for community organizations and individuals.
"A lot of people, young and old, often requested to go for a plane ride for their birthdays or other special events," Rohaley said. "We would try to fly over their hometown and neighborhoods and they always got a big kick out of that."
Rohaley Aviation also sponsored the daily weather forecast on the front page of The Valley Independent for several years.
"We had a good time with that," Rohaley said of the weather prognostications. "That was before (WTAE-TV meteorologist) Joe DeNardo's line, 'Joe Said It Would,' but people today still kid me that 'Rohaley Said It Would.'"
The good times and Rohaley Aviation's 12-year run at Rostraver Airport came to an end in 1978.
The township commissioners terminated the firm's lease on Oct. 15 in a dispute over non-payment of rent.
"It was a sad way to go," Rohaley said. "But it wasn't worth all the aggravation, and I decided to sell the business (Rostraver Aviation) to the guys from Pittsburgh."
Rostraver Commissioners named Rostraver Aviation as the new fixed-based operator at the airport on Nov. 6, 1978. The deal called for the company to pay $500 per month rent during the first year of a five-year contract, which represented a $100 increase over what Rohaley was paying.
Rohaley wasn't idle after the transition. He flew corporate jets for various firms out of Allegheny County Airport, took advanced classes at Pittsburgh Aeronautical Institute, which was based at the West Mifflin facility, and also was a pilot for Eastern Airlines.
"That was really something," Rohaley said of his work with Eastern Airlines. "I thought I had some nice planes at Rostraver Airport but this was a totally different world flying those huge jets for a major airline. I thought I was in heaven on those flights."
Rohaley returned to the corporate arena when he accepted a job as a pilot for Dominion Resources Inc., one of the nation's leading suppliers of energy and power. Dominion, headquartered in Richmond, Va., is the former parent company of The Peoples Natural Company in Pennsylvania.
"(Dominion) initially had me working out of the Pittsburgh offices," Rohaley said. "But eventually, they asked me to move to Richmond and take on more responsibilities. Working for them was a very good experience."
Rohaley and his wife, the former Daryl Ann Biagini, of Munhall, have been married since 1991.
They live in Chester, Va., a picturesque community of some 18,000 people located 20 miles from Richmond.
Daryl Ann has worked for the Chesterfield County Board of Commissioners and previously owned and operated a floral shop in Williamsburg, Va., for six years.
"Business was very good at the flower shop and (Daryl Ann) really enjoyed it," Rohaley said. "But Williamsburg is about 60 miles away and the daily round-trips became a grind, so she sold the store."
Rohaley was a single parent for a number of years after his first wife, the former Rita Panepinto, of Monessen, died at age 26 in 1968. They were the parents of two children, both of whom are graduates of Belle Vernon Area High School.
Rohaley's daughter, Lisa Rohaley, lives in Ruffsdale and is a night auditor at Comfort Inn Corp.
His son, Ryan Rohaley, a resident of Clarksburg, Md., is vice president of technology operations for Vocus, which produces on-demand software for public relations, communications and government relations professionals and is headquartered in Beltsville, Md.
"I'm very proud of both of them," Rohaley said. "They've done very well, achieved a lot in life and have brought a lot of happiness to me."
When he purchased a new Cessna training plane in 1977, Rohaley had the federal registration number on the craft designated as N757 LR. The initials stand for Lisa and Ryan.
Rohaley also has four grandchildren.
In addition to visiting his children and grandchildren "as often as I can," Rohaley stays closely in touch with his surviving siblings, sisters Gay-Lynn Carnello-Wertz, of Yorba Linda, Calif., and Margaret Belvis, of Denbo Heights (Brownsville).
And no return to the Mon Valley is complete without a visit to Daisytown.
"That's usually my first stop," Rohaley said of the quiet and friendly coal mining community outside of California. "There are so many great memories there - a loving family, wonderful friends and neighbors, a place where everyone knew everyone and looked out for each other. I enjoyed growing up in this area, going to dances at such places as the Stockdale Fire Hall and just hanging out with my friends. I guess I will always be a Daisytown and Mon Valley boy at heart."
Rohaley also looks forward to visiting Rostraver Airport, which has been operated for many years by the Westmoreland County Airport Authority.
"Every time I go there, I look around and think, 'Wow! What a great facility this is.'" he said. "It's a tremendous resource for the Mon Valley. You always hear the pitch that the Mon Valley is located so close to the Turnpike and Interstate 70, but more should be done to promote value and accessibility of the airport. The (county) authority has done so much to enhance and advance the (Arnold Palmer Regional) airport at Latrobe. They run daily flights to and from Fort Lauderdale as well as other major airports and they've been very successful. I'd like to see the same happen at Rostraver."
Rohaley continues to take on charter flights and also has done work with the U.S. military. He received letters of commendation for his participation in U.S. Navy maneuvers in 2009.
"I'd like to fly, God willing, as long as I'm able," he said.
In the air or on the ground, Rohaley enjoys reflecting on his career, especially those early days.
"There were so many people involved with establishing and perpetuating aviation facilities in Rostraver Township," he said. "It began all those many years ago with the Thompson family and the pilots and (airplane) owners who used their facility. That vision continued with the men who were determined to move forward with Rostraver Airport in the early 1960s. I will always be grateful for and humbled by the opportunity they extended to me. I'm proud of what we accomplished as part of that history."
