Former superintendent remembered for service to school district, country
George J. Plava didn’t like when people told him goodbye. When family and friends gathered Monday to say their final farewells, his children instead said, “see you later, dad.”
Plava, 97, died on Feb. 17 in a senior living center in Ohio. He was bestowed many titles in his life: superintendent and teacher, avid bowler, retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Big Ten Baseball Hall-of-Fame honoree and family man.
Born in 1917 in Brownfield, Plava began schooling at an early age, graduating from high school at the age of 15. Four years later, he began his teaching career in what is now known as the Albert Gallatin Area School District.
Only a month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Plava joined the U.S. Air Force, and in 1943, his plane was shot down by four Japanese Zeroes. As the burning plane flew over North Burma, he parachuted out and survived 28 days, said his brother, Don Plava.
“We received a telegram that George was missing in flight two weeks after it would have happened,” said Don, 88, of Uniontown. “It wasn’t long after that we received another telegram that he was found and uninjured.”
In 1945, he returned to the U.S., and remained in Air Force reserves for 35 years, said his daughter Janet Gibson of Hopwood.
He went back to teaching in 1947 as a chemistry and physics teacher at the former German Township High School, and served as superintendent for AG from 1968 until his retirement in 1979. Plava served as a school board member for the next 12 years.
“Because he taught chemistry and physics, his thinking process was unique and lent itself to data-driven decisions. He was very factual and to the point, but he didn’t lose his kindness,” said Dr. Ed Jeffreys, executive director of the Fayette County Career and Technical Institute. Jeffreys attended high school in the AG school district while Plava served as the superintendent.
“He was always very approachable; he mentored many teachers and administrators in the district,” Jeffreys said. “He had an impact on many of us in education today.”
“We lost two good leaders in such a short period of time,” said Jeffreys, referring to Ed Andria, who died Feb. 9. Andria had served for 35 years on the Albert Gallatin Area School Board. “Those guys were as sharp as tacks and very kind; there’s aren’t many people like them left. No matter what they did, you respected them.”
The German Township Central School dedicated and renamed the elementary school for Plava. During the ceremony, Gibson recalled that he stressed to educators that “they should not only teach the basic three R’s, but the should also instill in their students the other three R’s, which are just as important in life — respect, rights and responsibility.”
“Dad assumed school leadership with integrity and responsibility. He steadily kept his sights on the educational needs of the children whom he served for more than half a century,” said Gibson. “His greatest hope was for every student to get a good education.”
In the spirit of his greatest hope, Plava worked with the Community Foundation of Fayette County and the Masontown Library to establish the Plava Education Fund, benefiting future college students.
Though many knew Plava as the “epitome of education and professionalism, always wearing a suit and tie even while at the grocery store,” Gibson said he extended his interests to other places in the community.
“He enjoyed being outdoors on the farm where we grew up; it was a great stress relief,” said Gibson, adding that he also enjoyed hunting, golf and gardening. He was also a long-time member of the Gates Catholic Church.
Plava was also an active member of the senior bowling league at the Klondike Bowling Alley in Masontown. Every Wednesday, he would improve his game and bowled an impressive game scoring 202 at age 91, according to Gibson.
Growing up, Plava also enjoyed playing baseball with local patch town teams.
“There was a fierce rivalry among the teams, but everyone enjoyed it. My brother was a very good baseball player,” said Don Plava. In 1999, George Plava was inducted into the county’s Big Ten Baseball Hall-of-Fame — a great honor and joy to him and his family according to Gibson.
Another source of joy and pride for Plava was his family. Just last June, Plava celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary with his wife, Margaret Frances Balaban. Gibson said her father was very much a family man, often spending time with his seven children, six grandsons and two great-grandchildren. Grandson Cody Gibson said he is proud to carry on his grandfather’s legacy of teaching after obtaining a degree in secondary education mathematics in December.
Janet Gibson said one of the things she and Plava’s family will miss the most is his smile.
“He just had the kind of smile that was so warming, welcoming and contagious, and when he smiled he got this little twinkle in his eyes that was magical,” she said. “His love of family, his honor and loyalty to his country, and his faith in God made up the man we all loved and are missing deeply.”
“I find it hard to be too sad about my brother, because he lived such a wonderful and good life,” said Don Plava.
The family asked that any memorial donations be made to the Plava Educational Fund.