May 20, 2004 By James Pletcher Jr. 7 min read

Robert E. Eberly followed his father Orville’s advice. “Dad told me once, ‘Don’t you know that anything you give out comes back to you 10 times over?” Eberly said in an interview in 2003.

Eberly, 85, who died shortly after midnight Wednesday following an extended illness, kept that philosophy, giving not just money but his time and energy to Fayette County and its people.

During his lifetime he worked as a chemist, banker and oilman. Through his philanthropy, there were few areas in which he did not become involved. But what he will most be remembered for is his interest, support and dedication, financial and otherwise, to Fayette County and its people, according to those who knew and worked with him.

Among his many accomplishments was founding Fay-Penn Economic Development Council in 1993, the county’s lead development group that he served as chairman until last year.

“We have had the opportunity to meet many influential people our lives, but Bob Eberly was the greatest person we have ever had the privilege of knowing. His belief in giving to help others sets a beautiful example of how we should live our lives,” said Mike Krajovic, president and CEO of Fay-Penn, and Leo Krantz, Fay-Penn board chairman in a joint statement.

“We have had many famous people born in Fayette County. George Marshal did a great deal to rebuild Europe but Bob Eberly did much to rebuild Fayette County. I know thousands of people have benefited in many ways through his efforts and the Eberly Foundation. He never expected to get thanks. He took great pleasure in seeing cars in front of vacant buildings now filled with employees,’ Krajovic said.

“There is no way for the average resident to really fully know everything he did to support economic development and education in Fayette County,’ he added.

Muriel J. Nuttall, Fayette Chamber of Commerce executive director, called Eberly “one of the greatest benefactors of this chamber of commerce.

“Long before I was associated with the chamber, it was one of his missions to see the business community succeed in Fayette County and he made sure that the chamber had what was necessary to accomplish that.

“He purchased the building we are in now (at 65 W. Main St., Uniontown) because he felt the community needed a front door and he felt it was appropriate for us to be here. The Redstone Foundation, the chamber’s foundation, he saw a need for it. In a nutshell, the chamber is here and in existence because of Mr. Eberly,’ Nuttall said.

She added Eberly was a board member emeritus of the chamber and the Redstone Foundation, which he supported.

“The Redstone Foundation is tearing down the ‘Blue Bomb’ (the former First Federal Savings building at the corner of Beeson Boulevard and Main Street) and last month chose to name that Eberly Square. He actually bought that building – twice – because he gave us the money to buy it and the money to tear it down,’ she said.

On a personal note, Nuttall said that when she became chamber executive director, Eberly invited her to meet with him at his office.

“He wanted to tell me that he was there and supportive and his door was always open to me no matter what I needed. To have such a leading member of the community stand behind you since day one was such a confidence boost. He wanted to know what my plans were and how we were going to move the chamber forward.’

“It goes without saying it’s a sad day for Penn State University and this community,’ Dr. Gregory Grey, Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus, CEO said.

“It’s also a sadder day for all of humanity. This guy was the most giving and inspirational person I have ever come in contact with. His commitment to better the lives of individuals through education is something I admire and is why I was so close to him and The Eberly Foundation over the past six years.

“The thing I was really pleased with was that in March the university changed our name and he was here to see that. He actually came out to the campus to receive a proclamation from Graham Spanier (Penn State University president).

“He (Eberly) also had a chance to tour the new community center we are building here, that we could not have built without his financial support. He was beaming. He made the comment when he went through the building that this was all my family ever wanted to do, to help Fayette County. At that time his health was failing, so I was really pleased he had a chance to participate in this,’ Grey said.

Besides his involvement in economic development and education, Eberly was also instrumental in health care, donating millions over the years to The Uniontown Hospital.

“I think Bob has been a model for commitment to not just the hospital but the community as a whole,’ Paul Bacharach, Uniontown Hospital CEO, said.

“He has given back more than obviously anyone in this region and has helped to advance the health, social conditions, education and economy. He is going to be someone who will be hard, if not impossible, to replace. He has just given so much back to the community,’ Bacharach said.

James Loney, executive director of the Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, said Eberly’s association with the center “goes back many years.

“It was due to his generosity and his belief in this institution that this place became the nationally ranked center that it is now. He showed incredible generosity and a real awareness of what role the arts play in people’s lives.

“It’s a very sad day for us. He was a leading donor and supporter and believer in this institution,’ Loney said.

“His family has always been involved and these are going be sad weeks ahead as we think about our relationship with him over the years. We really want to express our sincere sympathy to his family. It’s a surprise to me. It’s a darn shame,’ he said.

“Obviously we are deeply saddened for all of western Pennsylvania as well as Fayette County,’ Ken Mabery, superintendent at Fort Necessity National Park, said. “Mr. Eberly has been a very good friend to Fort Necessity as a supporter of the national park and as a supporter through his foundation. Were it not for him and other donors, we would not be building the visitor center at this time,’ he said.

George Omiros, Rotary International District 7330 governor, said Eberly, a “long-time member of Rotary and a member of the Chestnut Ridge Rotary Club in Uniontown, was a major financial supporter to the Rotary Foundation having supported the eradication of polio internationally through a significant contribution to the foundation.

“Locally, he supported our efforts to spur individual giving to humanitarian efforts. Mr. Eberly supported an effort this year that I, as district governor, worked on to increase awareness for individuals to become organ donors with the Center for Organ Recovery and Education in Pittsburgh. In addition to being a philanthropist he was a visionary and he will be sorely missed by the entire family of Rotary. Our sympathies go out to his family.’

“First and foremost, he was a wonderful person in addition to a wonderful friend,’ said Chris Wagner, director of the State Theatre for the Arts.

“I made first contact with him when I was executive director of the Connellsville Chamber of Commerce and he helped us by supporting the office and acquiring different items we needed. From then on, he was a very good friend and especially when I came to the State Theatre. He helped us tremendously. I would venture to say that we wouldn’t be here if it had not been for Mr. Eberly,’ Wagner said.

She also benefited from his interest in buying jewelry on the Internet.

“I used to go down to his office. He would call me and say he had some jewelry for me. Maybe about three months ago, he called me back down because he had this piece of jewelry that was unique. It was ivory and had elephants all over it. He was always very thoughtful of his ‘girls’ downtown and I was very fortunate to be one of them,’ she said.