14 minute read
The Deutsch Institute’s Hall of Fame:
Honoring a Lifetime of Service
Mrs. Joyce Tressler has spent
her life serving the community. On October 30, 2022, she will be honored at the Champagne Celebrity Brunch by the Deutsch Institute along with her dear friend, the late Roseann Novembrino, for more than four decades of dedication to the organization. The Deutsch Institute is dedicated to developing and expanding recreational and leisure activities for those with special needs.
The Deutsch Institute was founded in Scranton in 1979 by a group of dedicated and passionate individuals. Joyce and her husband, the late David Tressler who passed away in 2020, began serving together with the Deutsch Institute shortly after moving to the region from Western Pennsylvania in 1975. The couple moved here when Dave became an executive vice president with Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania. Dave and Joyce met in 1956 while both attended Penn State, where they both were pursuing degrees in education. When Dave took the position with the bank, Joyce recalled that “... it was expected that bankers would give back to their community, and Dave wanted me to join him in his work with several organizations.” Joyce said that her training as a teacher may have contributed to her ability to effectively organize and manage events for large groups of people. The Deutsch Institute began hosting its annual fundraiser, dubbed “Celebrity Brunches,” in 1984. The idea was that recognizable members of the community would “serve” brunch to guests. “Local celebrities” who were recruited to serve over the years included members of the media, politicians, health care CEOs, postmen/women, college presidents, etc. “We tried to get folks who would be recognizable to the brunch guests,” Joyce recalls. This year, the Champagne Celebrity Brunch committee decided that the “true regional celebrities” are the remarkable people like Joyce who selflessly gave of their time for decades to make the annual event a highly anticipated and effective fundraiser.
Photo: Michael Straub
The event helps to raise not just funds, but also awareness of how the organization serves its participants – adults over age 18 who have special needs or, as they like to refer to it, “diverse abilities,” which are anything intellectual or physical. Dances, bowling leagues, art classes, trips and small cruises are some of the activities that the organization facilitates. “One wheelchairbound young man was able to begin bowling through the institute and later went on to win many high-level bowling competitions throughout the state. Without the Deutsch, he never would have had this opportunity,” Joyce noted. During the pandemic, the institute was still able to hold “virtual dances” for its members, a huge and muchappreciated benefit during social isolation.
Over the years, as the event co-chair, Joyce’s responsibilities included: recruiting the celebrity servers, developing the theme and decorations, hiring the musicians, tweaking the menu and securing sponsors and basket contributors. Joyce became so notorious with all of her charity work that people joked that when they would see her coming they would “hide their wallets.” She was very effective in getting people to understand the importance of caring for other members of the community. She had a valuable Rolodex of decisionmakers’ direct phone numbers at many organizations. She knew how to get through to those whose support would in turn help individuals who were able to benefit from the services provided by the Deutsch Institute. “In the early years, Dave was on his back, on the floor of St. Mary’s Center painting decorations with other bank members until the wee hours of the morning,” Joyce recalled. "One year his back had enough strain in an area that wasn’t exactly his expertise,” laughs Joyce. “From that year on, we secured Jeff D’Angelo, who specializes in themes and decorations. Jeff continues to work with us to this day and now we don’t have to work on decorations until 3 a.m. anymore,” she said. “Jeff comes in, sets up and then moves things out the next day, taking a huge load off our plates.” When asked why she continued to serve with the Deutsch Institute she replied, “this organization makes a world of difference in the lives of those who participate in the activities.” No matter what resources they had at the time, the Tresslers knew that being thankful meant giving back to the community.
The event helps to raise... awareness of how the organization serves its participants – adults over age 18 who have special needs or, as they like to refer to it, “diverse abilities.”
When they were first married, Dave worked a few jobs to support his family; he would teach during the day and work at a grocery store at night. Joyce grew up on a farm in Butler, Pennsylvania, and serving the community was bred into her as a small child. The couple taught their own children and led by example that “you have to have a purpose in life.” Each of their three children (Msgr. David L. Tressler, Attorney James Tressler and Mary Ann Tressler Morgan) continue to help out with the event along with their grandchildren, spouses and families. “I remember Mary Ann, Joyce’s youngest daughter, dressed in her best Christmas outfit as a toddler, helping out at the event. Now Mary Ann’s own daughters help,” said Marylou Gerrity Grogan, the incoming event chair whose own late father Bill Gerrity was Deutsch Board President for over 30 years. This year’s champagne brunch has a Halloween theme and the menu includes eggs, sausage, bacon, home fries, a waffle station, pastries, doughnuts, fruit and of course champagne. The basket raffles (approximately 75 unique ones) and each year’s unique theme are some of the highly anticipated components of the brunch.
The organization’s board and event committee boast a history of longevity with its members, who remain steadfastly committed to its mission. Many have been serving for a decade or more, committed to individuals who may never know their names but who will reap the benefit of their time and energy.
2022 Celebrity Brunch Committee Members:
Joyce Tressler - Co-Chair, Marylou Gerrity Grogan - Co-Chair, Mary Rinaldi - Honorary Chairperson, Mary Ann Biel, Teresa Karsnack, Mary Claire Boylan, Sean McHale, Laura DeLuccie, Michael Bernhart, Carol Gibbons, Brian Williams
Attending a champagne brunch seems like a very simple way to be thankful for blessings and serve others while honoring the dedication of Joyce Tressler. The organization has kept the ticket price reasonable so that families can attend the fun Sunday morning brunch. The cost is only $30 for adults (and that includes champagne) and $15 for children 6-12. Clients or members of the organization can attend for $25. Continuous serving takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s live music is provided by the Ferdie Bistocchi Memorial Orchestra under the direction of Doug Smith. H
Attorney Joseph Grady
O’Malley & Langan
Attorney Joseph Grady has been a
practicing attorney, licensed in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey since 1986. He served for 30 years as a Workers’ Compensation Judge with the Department of Labor and Industry.
Since becoming a judge in 1992, Atty. Grady has been in the forefront of implementing innovative practices and procedures that have resulted in more efficient and timely litigation within the Workers’ Compensation adjudicatory system. He was also instrumental in establishing one of the first mediation programs in the state for Workers’ Compensation litigants. He explained: “For many years, in the 1980s and even prior, workers’ compensation cases that went into litigation before a workers’ compensation judge (someone either trying to receive benefits or an employer/insurance company trying to stop benefits it was paying to an injured worker) had ‘serial’ hearings—sometimes a half dozen or more, that could take two years before a decision would be rendered.”
Atty. Grady was involved in the early 90s in implementing a procedure called ‘One Day-One Hearing’. “With that procedure, in a majority of cases, the parties would have a short first hearing where they were instructed by the judge as to when their final hearing would be held, usually six months later. The parties needed to follow strict
timelines in presenting their positions before
the judge. That practice for the most part slowly began to be followed around the state resulting in much quicker litigation, most in one year or less.” Mediation effectively assisted settlement negotiations which was non-existent until the early 1990s when Atty. Grady and a handful of judges across the state began making themselves available to mediate other judges' cases. “Prior to then, in the workers’ compensation area, mediation was nonexistent. Several of us traveled throughout the
Commonwealth teaching other judges how to
effectively mediate. As workers’ compensation judges we presented mediation as a tool to resolve workers’ compensation cases to the litigants even before many other courts across the state made mediation available to the litigants. Before that, any resolution of a case would only occur if the lawyers representing each side had a fruitful discussion about resolution. It is a valuable tool that I continue to use in representing injured workers and their families now at O’Malley & Langan.” He retired from the bench, and this year Atty. Grady joined the law firm of O’Malley & Langan. “Having seen so many lives affected by work injuries in different ways, I understand the importance of good representation with any work injury,” he said. “The attorneys at O’Malley & Langan appeared before me for many years representing clients with work injuries. I can say – without hesitation – they were always well prepared, understood the issues and provided the best representation for their clients. That’s why I decided to work alongside them, helping those affected by workplace injuries.” Everyone starts somewhere and Atty. Grady gained great experience through his years at Scranton Prep and the University of Scranton.
He values the lifelong friends sacrifice. If it is indeed what you that he made there. “Those want then go for it. The world years at both schools quietly can always use a better lawyer.” shaped me into the lawyer, the husband and the dad I am today. The values instilled in me at both schools have been a catalyst in allowing me to continue my legal career, now through different lenses at O’Malley & Langan.” Atty. Grady debunks a common misconception about workers compensation. “What someone may be most surprised to know about workers’ compensation is that everyone who is on workers’ compensation is not a faker, is not lazy and is not someone After graduation from Seton who does not want to work. Hall University Quite the opposite. As School of Law, he a judge for over 30 served a two-year years surely you do see clerkship with the people that fall into late Judge S. John this category but trust Cottone, in the me, it’s the minority. Court of Common People who Pleas, Lackawanna get hurt at work do County. He then joined a law not want to sit at home and colfirm in Scranton, Scanlon, lect workers’ compensation benHowley and Doherty. efits. They want to get better. That’s where his workers’ compensation skills were formed and honed. “The majority of the work I was doing for that law firm beginning in 1987 was workers’ compensation. In 1992 I was appointed as a Workers’ Compensation Judge and worked for two years in the They don’t want to be restricted from their daily routine and activities. They want to return to work. We live in an area here in NEPA where people generation by generation continue to be honest hard-working people who want to provide for themselves and their families.” Wilkes-Barre Workers’ Atty. Grady is known for his Compensation office before involvement in the Northeast moving to the Scranton United States Conferences on
Workers’ Compensation office where I remained for the next 28 years.“ Atty. Grady explained that in order to become a workers’ compensation judge one needs to be an attorney in good standing with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, take an examination addressing knowledge of workers’ compensation issues and have practiced in the
area of workers’ compensation for at least five years. Atty. Grady was appointed during the administration of the late Governor Robert P. Casey. He offered this advice for anyone considering law school: “Like anything else in life, do your research first. The same would be true for any career path. Talk to other lawyers. Call me at O’Malley and Langan and I would be happy to have a conversation about pursuing a legal career. It is very rewarding but requires time, effort and
DisAbility, an annual event held at the University of Scranton. “Each year a distinguished group of presenters share life experiences that spur discussion on so many important issues in the disability arena. The driving force behind the conference are Edward and Patricia Leahy who established the Edward R. Leahy Jr. Foundation for the University of Scranton. It is a conference that has kept me grounded in terms of what people can accomplish despite a disability. Every day I remind myself how fortunate I am and also of what others have accomplished despite having some disability. Staying positive and not feeling sorry for yourself, no matter what adversity you face, is so important.” Atty. Grady was also a founding member of the Steamtown Marathon. “I was fortunate to have run the Steamtown Marathon in its inaugural year, 1996. My responsibilities for the marathon after that became too numerous so it was difficult to participate as a runner. It has grown enormously and draws runners to our area each year from almost every state and several countries. At one point it was one of the 10 fastest marathons in the country. Perhaps, most importantly, the marathon since its beginning continues to make a significant financial contribution each year to St. Joseph’s Center in Scranton. For that I am most grateful.” With his many career successes, his immersement in the community and family responsibilities we wondered about an important lesson he learned from his parents. “The best way to answer that is to borrow the words of St. Padre Pio: ‘Pray, hope and don’t worry.’ So many times I say these words to myself. They remind me to slow down and be grateful for all the amazing opportunities that have come my way. But for my parents and their guidance over the years I am sure I would not be talking to Happenings Magazine about my wonderful career, family and this great community that has always been my home. Our son, Christian is the most genuine person one would ever meet. Christian has Down syndrome. He has challenges like everyone does. One thing is different however. He loves everyone … unconditionally. He is the best thing that ever happened to my wife, Anne and me. Christian was created in the image and likeness of God. Spend just five minutes with him, see his smile, and you will surely agree." H
Parents as Teachers
Did You Know?
A baby’s brain goes through amazing changes during the early years of life. There are simple things you can do every day to support your child’s healthy brain development. Positive early experiences lay the foundation for future school and life success.
Learning begins at home, in the context of loving relationships with parents and family. Certified Family Development Specialists partner with parents to provide the kinds of information, support and experiences that help children grow and develop to reach their full potential. Parents as Teachers is a free program for the prenatal stage through kindergarten completion.
Outreach Services Include:
• Personalized home visits • Fun, family learning activities • Connection to community resources • Ages & Stages Developmental Screening • Weekly Play and Learn Group
Quote from one of our mom participants:
“I definitely feel more confident as a parent because of my involvement in Parents as Teachers. I enrolled when my now 4-year-old son was born and I've learned so much about child development and the things I can do to support
my son's learning and development.” H
