OAKLAND - A local man intending to pay last respects to Steelers legend Chuck Noll at Freyvogel Funeral Home went into the wrong viewing room and had to think quickly for something nice to say about a man he never met.
Rick Weatherly did not realize that Joe Dander, a 90-year-old man from East Liberty, was also laid out Sunday afternoon at the same funeral home. But as soon as he strolled into Dander's room, he realized his mistake. "There were only a few people there, and they all noticed me walking in. At that point, I couldn't back out.
"I figured he must have had a job and family and probably did something in World War II," Weatherly said. "I made a few general remarks about what a great guy he was and how I'll miss him, and pretended to sign the guest book. I stood around for a few minutes then I was able to leave quietly. That was a big relief."
Dander's widow, Jean, didn't notice anything amiss. "Joe knew a lot of people that I didn't, so I figured it was another person like that," she said. "He said some nice things about Joe. Of course, I thought it was kind of strange that he was holding a Terrible Towel, because Joe was always more of a Pirates fan. But grief makes people do some odd things sometimes."
As for Weatherly, he ultimately paid his respects to Noll after retreating from Dander's room and standing in line for more than two hours. But he will probably not repeat his mistake in the future. "Next time a local Steelers great dies, I think I'll skip the viewing," he said sheepishly. "I think I'll stick to signing the online condolences from now on."
