Whatever the name, he was synonymous with many qualities

Anyone who knew Leon F. Rongaus has his or her favorite story about the man who earned international acclaim as the owner and operator of the Redwood Restaurant in Donora for some 30 years.

Many of those recollections surfaced when Rongaus, who was more affectionately known as Lee, died on March 18. He was 93.

"Stories about Uncle Lee began circulating again just in time for his 93rd birthday on Feb. 4," said Gary Seraly, of Peters Township, Rongaus' nephew.

"He hadn't been feeling well at the time and it truly lifted his spirits to hear from old friends and talk about his life, his family and, of course, the Redwood."

Seraly said stories about his uncle "are a testament to a unique man, his fulfillment of the American Dream, that which we all pursue."

Seraly's wife, the former Ruthann Marraccini, emphasized that point with a moving eulogy to her uncle at his funeral Mass at St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Church in Whitehall.

"He is known as Lee by all who know and have come to love him," Ruthann Seraly said. "The eighth of nine children born to immigrant Italian parents, Simplicio and Maria Tribuiani Roncace, he took root in the small mill town of Donora located along the Monongahela River in Washington County. It was here in this close-knit ethnic community of immigrants that he was nurtured, matured and found his pathway in life. His parents and siblings were foremost in his thoughts and recollections. They encompassed Italian tradition in food and customs, boyhood antics, hard work, thrift and his hometown. They were all spoken about and recalled with humor and love."

Lee often used his family's surname, Roncace, during his life, but most people knew him as Rongaus.

Ruthann Seraly told those at the funeral Mass that the Rongaus home at 87 Castner Ave. was built by her uncle's father between 1912 and 1916. It housed the family as a well as a grocery store that supplemented family income.

"By 1932, Simplicio had converted the grocery store into a neighborhood tavern that later offered food and became known as the Rongaus Hilltop Restaurant," she said. "After Lee graduated from Donora High School, the call came from Uncle Sam to report for military duty in World War II."

He served with distinction in the U.S. Army and was discharged in 1945 as a lieutenant. He briefly attended college before returning home to help run the family restaurant with his sisters, Jean and Ulanda.

"With an innate sense of style, natural talent and hard work, he transitioned the neighborhood 'shot-and-beer' establishment into a fine dining experience called the Redwood," Seraly recalled. "Attention was given to every detail, from its ambiance to choice and quality of food, its preparation and presentation."

She reminded family and friends at the church that "A Book of Verse, A Loaf of Bread, A Jug of Wine and Thou" from the Rubyaiat of Omar Khayyam captivated diners at the door in an "invitation to a perfect evening of dining."

"The Redwood featured delicate cuisine in appetizers of crab imperial and shrimp in a light butter, a mouth-watering Parmesan bread, lightly stroked with garlic and served piping hot, and signature entrees of beef braccialette, rack of lamb and lobster," she said.

White linen tablecloths, a single rose and Lee's very own hand-etched wine glasses in Italian love verses complemented artistic expression in the copied paintings he displayed throughout the dining room, she added.

"The wine cellar was a beautiful collaboration of art and architecture, as was the manicured Roman Garden Uncle Lee cultivated on the grounds and around the outdoor patio," Seraly said. "Espaliers of fruit trees hugged the bricked building, the grape arbor was scissor pruned and the flagstone patio were all done by his hand, as were the interior and exterior features of the Redwood. Gardening was a passion that found its way to the tables in the herbs he grew and in the lettuce, tomatoes, grapes and figs cultivated in a garden behind the restaurant. Everything carried Uncle Lee's personal touch."

She also recalled that reservations were hard to come by and made weeks in advance.

"Those that came never seemed to mind some of Uncle Lee's parameters that were set in stone," she said.

This was emphasized in a 1973 review of the Redwood by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette dining critic Geoffrey Tomb's Top Ten On Dining Out column. He wrote that "water glasses are banned from tables, martini drinkers are scorned and smoking raises eyebrows."

"Uncle Lee's savoir faire and joie de vivre captivated his clientele in reputation throughout the '60s, 70s and 80s," Seraly said.

National recognition came in an extensive 1978 Fortune Magazine article, "A Steelworkers Hangout That's Come a Long Way," in "A History of a Restaurant" by George Will in the Palm Beach Post and Travel/Holiday magazine's Dining Distinction Award as one of the "Fine Restaurants of the World."

Local and regional recognition followed the Redwood as it became an icon in the numerous "outstanding restaurant" selections in the media, Seraly said.

The creme de la creme for Rongaus had to be his induction into the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, an international gastronomic society, in March 1973, she said.

"The Chaine is dedicated to bringing together those who share a mutual interest in cuisine, wine and fine dining in a spirit of camaraderie," she said. "The picture of him beaming and wearing his medallion speaks volumes in the success acknowledged in this prestigious award."

Dinner at the Redwood was an unforgettable experience and the word spread near and far. Epitomizing that extended praise was a phone call Gary Seraly received while playing host to his uncle at his home not long before Rongaus' death. The caller was longtime friend Col. Nick Kuzemka (USAF, Retired), a Donora High School and U.S. Military Academy graduate.

"Nick was returning from a Donora High class reunion and said he had a story he wanted to tell to me," Ruthann Seraly said.

Kuzemka recounted that he and his wife, Carole, were enjoying R&R in Hong Kong in 1970 at a 5-Star Swiss restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel.

"The hotel and restaurant were among the finest in the Far East, if not the world," Kuzemka said. "During dinner, we started talking to a couple at the next table after the gentleman recognized my western Pennsylvania accent. He was a neurosurgeon from Philadelphia and said he and his wife were on their annual trip to see new places. Their passion was to eat at the highest-acclaimed restaurants wherever their travels led them.

"He said that in all their travels the very best total experience was in a small eclectic venue in the Pittsburgh area - the Redwood. The food, wine, company and Lee Rongaus took them back to Donora at least four or five times a year. They would fly to Pittsburgh, limo to the Redwood, spend a few hours and then return to Philly. That was quite an endorsement to Lee's commitment to total customer satisfaction. Every time Carole and I remember our Hong Kong experience we can't believe how small this world really can be."

Ruthann Seraly said the Redwood clientele included the famous as well as those from other walks of life.

"Celebrities playing at the Twin Coaches or the Ankara were there - Tony Bennett, Julius LaRosa and Frank Sinatra were among the many who dined at and raved about the Redwood," she said. "So were such sports figures as Steeler Dynasty stars Franco Harris, Terry Bradshaw, Mike Webster and Jack Lambert. CEOs, couples and families celebrating a special occasion were regulars, as were family treated to the annual New Year's Eve gathering."

Her uncle took it all in stride, she said.

"There was never any boasting about a job well done, the celebrity factor or his ultimate success," she said with reference to her late uncle. "His demeanor was one that fit him well in the tasteful and low-keyed approach in which he carried himself. We recognized this in his manner as well as in his dress. One would never see him other than as the well groomed, dapper guy that he was, clothed in dress khakis, alligator shoes, tailored shirts and cashmere sweaters.

"He dressed like this even when working his garden, confident in the knowledge that the garden pathways of carpet would keep his leather shoes clean. And then there was the mandate that he dress in a suit no matter the time of year when going to Mass - a sign of his reverence and respect for God's holy place."

Rongaus' joy of living never waned, even after the death of his beloved wife of 60 years, Armeda L. (Wardel) Rongaus. They had lived in Whitehall for many years, moving there after the Redwood closed..

"There was always something to do, from reading Portuguese sonnets, sharing his culinary talents, trips to Eat 'n Park and Mass at St. Gabriel to chats with his family, working his garden and revisiting the etching of stemware he so enjoyed," Ruthann Seraly said. "The sentiments he etched speak to his joy of living and love - Cara, Vieni Piu Vicina (Dearest, Come Closer), Che Sera Sera (What Will Be, Will Be) and Cara, Tu Sae Mia Vita (Dearest, You Are My Life) are but a few of the many saying he etched and signed over the past few years."

Rongaus never lost his spirit, either.

"We celebrated his 93rd birthday on Feb. 4 and spent Super Bowl Sunday with him on Feb. 6," Ruthann recalled. "He was typical Uncle Lee - alive and well and giving the Steelers a salty comeuppance on their game as we all mourned the loss to the Packers."

Seraly said her uncle "lived life to the fullest up to God's call."

"With confidence in Divine Providence, we rejoice with him as he is reunited with all those he loved," she said at the Mass, her eyes as moist as the others in St. Gabriel. "We were enriched by him and we will miss him."

She concluded the eulogy with familiar Italian sentiments that those who knew Lee Rongaus will continue to echo::

"Centi Anni e Tante Belle Cose Zio Leone (A Hundred Years and Many Beautiful Things, Uncle Leon.)