I had the pleasure of attending a book presentation this past week on Mickey Melberger, a businessman and philanthropist from the Borough of West Pittston.
Needless to say, Mickey has led an interesting life starting off as a superior athlete out of West Pittston High School Class of 1957.
Excelling in sports as well as his studies, Mickey was accepted to Bucknell University where he had the chance to start all four years of his college year playing football. He served as team captain and when the squad won the Lambert Cup, he accepted the trophy on the country’s biggest stage, The Ed Sullivan Show out of New York City.
Mickey accepted the trophy, not only in front of a packed audience, but 13 million TV viewers as well. I’d say that was pretty impressive for a tall drink of water from the Garden Village.
After receiving his degree in 1961 and his masters in 1962, Mickey got busy putting his education to work.
Even with nose to the grindstone, Mickey always found time for the love of his life, wife Ruth, whom he married on Aug. 8, 1962.
Together they forged ahead as one in everything they did, including having two children, Erica and Mickey, or as family calls him, young Mickey.
As someone who grew up in West Pittston, my path never crossed with the Melbergers. I never traveled in the same circle as them but I’m sure glad I got to know Mickey and Ruth, even if it’s been later in life for both of us.
They are old school people that really believe in community, and the love they have for West Pittston is remarkable.
Mickey must have been a really great athlete to achieve what he did in high school and college. That athletic gene certainly has run in the family and I’ve covered enough of their grandson’s baseball games from Little League to a PA State Championship bid earlier this year.
Being a great athlete didn’t stop his love of sports when he was done playing organized sports. He and Ruth attend every game possible their grandchildren are involved in.
Mickey himself, to this day, can be found doing some form of exercising even on his worst days when his Parkinson’s disease is giving him a rough go.
This past summer while I was on a walk about town with my childhood friend, Rob Seeley, Mickey came buzzing by on his bike.
His wife Ruth told me he goes to boxing a few times a week. “It helps with his Parkinson’s,” she said.
I know the Melbergers have been philanthropic over the years, but I dare not ask to what organizations because it is something they don’t boast about.
What struck me about the book about his life was how personally involved he got with clients and employees. I think, or at least I want to believe, to Mickey, everyone was family to him.
It’s obvious, from what stories I’ve been told, he gets involved with people’s lives — he always made sure everyone was taken care of, especially those who worked with him.
As I mentioned, growing up in town, I never had the nerve to introduce myself to him until I got involved with the newspaper business.
I think if I had known him much earlier in life, maybe I would have had a chance to work in his organization, an organization that became one of the tops in the field of record storage. Maybe a bit of his success would have rubbed off on me and maybe learning from one of the best in the business could have made me a smarter person.
Yes, there are a lot of scenarios that could have or would have, if only.
My friend and high school classmate, Peggy Nocito married Mike Balberchak who was one of the first people Mickey hired. It must have been great to be on the ground floor when Diversified Information Technologies took off.
It’s amazing how time has gone by and the stories that are told in Melberger’s book, “I have an idea” are many.
Balberchak has a few stories that I’m sure he’d love to share and maybe a few he’d rather not, but all-in-all, it had to be a great ride, even if it was in the back of a Ryder rental truck driving to and from New York City.
Even though a book has been written on Mickey’s life and business exploits, I don’t think there are enough pages in a book to cover everything he’s ever done.
Melberger since sold off Diversified, but the shrewd businessman that his is, kept all the building housed all over the country, at least 40 in total, where he now collects rent from the same company that bought him out. That’s pretty darn smart if you ask me.
I’m pretty sure the man is always thinking of his next venture and he told me he has another one up his sleeve, this time instead of being on the receiving end, he’s paying it forward in helping future entrepreneurs make sure they succeed.
At 82, there really is no stopping Mickey in life, in business and in love of family, and when I grow up, I want to be just like him.
Quote of the week
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Dr. Seuss
Thought of the week
“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
