In memorium

On Saturday, November 6th, the bead and gem community of Pittsburgh suffered a great loss.   Bob Patak, owner of Shadyside Mining, lost his brave battle with cancer.

I first met Bob probably 20 years ago, when he had Patak Designs on Carson St on the SouthSide.   My sister was a long time customer, and we met through her.   John and I would stop in occasionally on a Saturday with Jessie, my stepdaughter.   Bob would always give her a special rock....she ended up with a whole bag full!

Bob moved his store to Shadyside, first in a basement level off Walnut Street.   He renamed it Shadyside Mining, and decorated it with large rocks affixed to the walls going down the steps, making it look like you were going into a mine.   When he closed this store (his landlord raised his rent ridiculously) I was in the process of setting up my store, and purchased some of his showcases.

Bob was still selling his stones, but was itching to open another store.   A couple of years later, he reopened Shadyside Mining in its current location on Copeland St, off Walnut.   While Bob claimed he was not in the bead business, he had a wonderful selection of precious and semiprecious stones and pearls, all gathered from his many years of attending the Tucson shows.   He was a very talented jewelry designer, but his real love was the rocks themselves.

When I opened my store in 2003, I did not know very much about stones.  I learned much from Bob, and purchased all my initial stones from him.  When attending the gem shows in Tucson, I would always run into him, and we would always hook up for dinner, either at an Indian restaurant, or Bob's and my favorite, Poca Cosa.   He would stop in my store every once in a while, having run out of crimps or crimp covers, and we would chat about business, and plan for Tucson.

I know that many of my customers were also customers of Bob's, and will always remember him as a kind and generous man.   For myself, I cannot imagine going to Tucson and not running into him, comparing notes on what treasures and bargains we found.   My sincere condolences go out to his lovely wife and two daughters, who became his real precious gems.   Bob will certainly be missed.