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Former Girard, OSU athlete did it all after emigrating to America
Former Girard, OSU
athlete did it all after
emigrating to America
By Greg Gulas
GIRARD
From his youth in Macedonia to his formative years in Girard, from fighting for his newly adopted country to quarterbacking Ohio State University to its first ever Rose Bowl victory in 1950 to befriending golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Pandel Savic is the first to let you know that he has lived the American Dream.
In his newly released book “A Wonderful Run at Life,” as told to and captured in print by son-in-law Donald Holmes Lewis, the book details the hardships, triumphs and life of a man who rose from humble beginnings to become chairman of Nicklaus’ highly successful Memorial Tournament, held annually at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
Through it all, Savic built a small industrial supply business into the largest of its kind in the nation, yet maintained a humility about him as he dined with U.S. Presidents, movie stars, sports figures and the many whom he employed.
“There has been lots of tragedy and triumph in Pandel’s life and his book takes aim at what he overcame to become one of the most successful businessmen in the nation,” Lewis said. “From Macedonia to Muirfield Village Golf Club and every point in between, he turned his life story into a dialogue and I tried my very best to capture his voice.”
Inspiring is the only word that comes to mind when Mark Zuppo, president of the Girard High School Athletics Hall of Fame committee uses when talking about his alma mater’s charter member.
“Pandel Savic’s life is so very unique, how many nine year-olds do you know can come to a new country, all by himself and enjoy the success that he did,” Zuppo said. “He was paired with George Prodnick, in no time picked up the language and the rest as they say is history. He was great friends with Tony Romanowsky and my father, who was a cop in the city, often told me that they were the very best athletes ever to come out of Girard.”
With hands the size of a baseball mitt, Savic, though not a United States citizen, fought as a Marine in the horrific South Pacific battles during World War II, then enrolled at Ohio State when his military commitment concluded.
He was the quarterback who led the Buckeyes to their first ever Rose Bowl victory, a 17-14 win over previously undefeated California in 1950, heading out and into the business world where his industrial supply business, which sold gloves and goggles among other safety products to businesses became the gold standard of the industry worldwide.
When he and his family settled in the Columbus suburb of Upper Arlington, Nicklaus’ family moved in across the street and as Savic befriends the future golf legend, it is Savic who Nicklaus comes to admire and thus begins a lifelong friendship that has journeyed them all over the world with the former Girard resident serving as chairman of the Golden Bear’s yearly event.
“With Pandel’s memory now at times a challenge, Donald Holmes Lewis was able to extract those memories and put them into the proper context,” Zuppo added. “It’s a heartfelt story that we would hope every Girard boy and girl would read, just so that they can see what a great work ethic and stick-tuitive-ness can produce. This book is living proof that when you follow the Golden Rule, you can go far in life.”
In the Foreword by Nicklaus’ wife, Barbara, she notes “A Wonderful Run at Life is a fantastic book about a fantastic man. Friends are among life’s most precious possessions. Pandel was and is a friend and mentor to so many, including our entire family. This book certainly is a tribute to Pandel as he shows us that anything is possible.”
Cost of the book is $19.95 with sales earmarked to help support the Alzheimer’s Association of America. Purchase at www.pandelsavic.com.
Holmes can be reached at 614-893-8322 or don.lewis.nla@gmail.com. For additional information visitfacebook.com/wonderfulrunatlife.