It's not much of a stretch to say that basketball was a defining force in Barry Schiavo's life. In the late 1940s, he was a point guard for the Irwin High School basketball team that won a state championship. A lifelong hoops fan, Schiavo in recent years was not one to miss a great-grandchild taking the court.

“Just a couple weeks ago, he was at my grandson's basketball game,” said his daughter, Jennifer Tavares of North Huntingdon. Barry “Bak” Schiavo of Irwin died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018, of natural causes. He was 89. Mr. Schiavo, an Italian-American of Sicilian descent, was born July 2, 1928, a son of the late Thomas and Lena (Pace) Schiavo of Irwin. He served several years in the Army.