Dick Skrinjar, affable, longtime spokesman for Pittsburgh's mayors, PennDOT, dies at 74

Dick Skrinjar, who served as a spokesman for former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, died Thursday.

He was 74.

“The thing about my dad is that he was ultimately just a very loving person,” Zach Skrinjar, one of his sons, told TribLive Friday. “He loved communicating. He loved talking to the people of Pittsburgh. He loved publicly serving them in many roles.”

Zach Skrinjar declined to provide his father’s cause of death but said he died at home.

A lifelong Pittsburgher, Skrinjar grew up in Lawrenceville and then moved to Highland Park, his son said.

Skrinjar worked for the City of Pittsburgh under O’Connor and former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, serving as a mayoral spokesperson and in the Department of Parks and Recreation. He also held positions as a longtime spokesman at PennDOT and as a liaison for senior citizens at the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.

Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor fondly recalled his father’s former spokesman.

“He was a great family friend, very loyal, always there for a call when you needed something,” O’Connor said. “I think a lot of people respected him.”

O’Connor, who won the city’s Democratic mayoral primary last month, said Skrinjar would text him supportive messages during his campaign.

Skrinjar leaves a lasting legacy in the city’s senior centers, O’Connor said, crediting his efforts to engage with older residents.

“It’s funny when you go to the senior centers how many people remember him or tell a story about him,” O’Connor said.

District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. highlighted the work Skrinjar did to educate seniors about fraud.

“He’s been my eyes and ears in terms of fraud prevention for seniors,” Zappala said, adding Skrinjar worked for his office for about a decade.

In his personal life, Skrinjar was a family man who enjoyed spending time with his wife, his sons and his dogs, Zach Skrinjar said. He enjoyed music and riding a motorcycle.

Zach Skrinjar recalled his father attending any event he or his brothers participated in as children — and even as adults.

Zach Skrinjar, who now coaches Fox Chapel’s boys basketball team, said his dad was always there to support him.

“He was our biggest fan,” he said of his father. “He was at most practices, wouldn’t miss a game.”

Elliott Skrinjar, his youngest son, said his father taught him to support his brothers, never be afraid to show his emotions and respect everyone.

“He made everyone feel like they were the most important person in the room,” Elliott Skrinjar said.

Skrinjar is survived by his wife, Barbara, and sons Zach, Gabriel and Elliott. He and his wife would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August.