When Brashear High School first opened in 1976 — uniting racially diverse students in the Pittsburgh Public School District — Eugene Khorey was at the helm as its first principal.
Just two months short of turning 100 years old, Khorey, of Munhall, who was known as “Gene,” died on Jan. 21 at the age of 99 at The Village of Heather Hills in Grand Rapids, Mich. He lived there since July 2024.
A close friend of Khorey’s and fellow retired administrator, A. Jay Gross, described Khorey as a remarkable man and a true leader.
“It was quite a job setting up that school from nothing, from scratch, but Gene did it,” said Gross, 81, of Shadyside. “He was a magician. He had a way with him to dealing with people that was like no other person I ever worked with. He had the ability to find the best in people.”
A storied life
Born in 1926 in Latrobe, Khorey joined the Army right out of high school in 1944 during World War II. He served with the 86th Infantry “Blackhawk” Division in both the European and Pacific theaters and was awarded the Bronze Star.
Doug Khorey, Gene’s son, said he was “immediately (put) on a train and sent to basic training” following his high school commencement.
“He did what most people did coming back — went to work in the mill,” said Doug Khorey, 59, of Wilkinsburg.
Khorey worked at U.S Steel’s Homestead Works before attending Edinboro State Teachers College and the University of Pittsburgh. In 1954, he began his career with the Pittsburgh Public Schools, which included being a social studies teacher, counselor, principal and administrator.
“Over the years, he’s become part of the community,” Khorey said, referencing his father’s ever-present working class background. “I would tag along with him a lot, (to) games, musicals, homecoming fairs. That really became a big part of my life as well. He did his best to say, ‘You want to take a ride with me? We’ll go do something.’”
Khorey remained active in many civic and community affairs into his 90s, and was a lifelong member of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church, according to his obituary.
Khorey was also active in his monthly lunch group, made up of principals, including Gross. The group dines at Max’s Allegheny Tavern on the North Side. It started out with 30 people 21 years ago. Gross said it’s down to four.
“I’d go visit him at least once or twice a week for the last 21 years,” Gross said. “It’s a loss; he was well-loved.”
Brashear’s legacy
Throughout his life, Khorey maintained relationships with former students, especially the students who attended Brashear High School.
Lisa Faloon was one of them.
“You could talk to every single alumni, and they’d all say the same thing,” said Faloon, 60, of Verona, who graduated from Brashear High with the class of 1983. “Mr. Khorey was one of those special people that he has remained in my life for over 40 years.”
She said Khorey took an interest in her high school basketball career — and even came to root for her when she played in college for Penn State.
“He spent the time to get to know his students — not just at a superficial level,” Faloon said. “He went deep into their lives, and he will forever be remembered for that.”
When Brashear opened, numerous predominantly Black schools and predominantly white schools had been closed, according to Doug Khorey and Faloon. Some of the students from the shuttered schools were set to come together to attend Brashear.
“There was a lot of fear how this would just be a complete failure. And although it wasn’t perfect or anything, I think they had the approach that they were going to make this work,” Doug Khorey said. “That team really went out of their way; they didn’t hide from anything. They had a lot of community meetings, open hearings … Our phone, it never stopped. He was always on the phone.”
Gross said Khorey not only made Brashear work, but the kids “flourished” there.”
“He was remarkable,” Gross said. “He was a mentor to me. Whatever I (did) as an administrator was because of what I learned from Gene. He was a man among men and definitely different than what most administrators were like in the school system.”
Faloon said Khorey worked daily to ensure the success of Brashear and solve problems that ” came up in the first two or three years.
“He knew if he created the right environment, (it would work),” she said. “That was the best thing that ever happened to all of us. The majority of us still hold that memory together. It worked — we liked each other.”
Faloon said everyone can “stand back and learn a lesson” from Khorey’s life.
“He and I had a lot of talks about politics and what was going on in the world; he was just absolutely disgusted with things,” she said.
“That at the age of 99 you could have so many Black, white, Hispanic — all those people — would come together and say the same thing, that is a gift.
“When you have that, you know that you’ve done right in your life.”
Superintendent Wayne N. Walters of Pittsburgh Public Schools said in a statement Wednesday that Khorey “played a pivotal role” in shaping the high school’s identity, during what he called “a defining moment in the district’s history.”
“He provided steady, principled leadership during the district’s desegregation and student reassignment efforts — helping to bring together students from different communities with dignity, respect and high expectations, at a time when many anticipated division,” he said.
On behalf of the district, Walters extended heartfelt condolences to Khorey’s family, friends and those whose lives were touched by the former principal.
“We honor his remarkable longevity and his lasting service to Pittsburgh’s children,” he said. “We are deeply grateful for Principal Khorey’s life of public service and leadership.”
Walters said Khorey’s “commitment to unity, fairness and educational excellence” left an impact and was later recognized by the community, citing an honor from the New Pittsburgh Courier and a proclamation issued by then-Mayor Bill Peduto in celebration of his service.
Khorey retired from Pittsburgh Public Schools in 1984.
Funeral services
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday at St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Grand Rapids, with Trisagion prayers of mercy at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will also be held from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 at the Savolskis-Wasik-Glenn Funeral Home in Munhall.
Services will be held on Saturday, Feb. 7 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral — with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. and the funeral at 11 a.m., followed by a meal of mercy at the church and interment at Lebanon Church Cemetery in West Mifflin.
