Earl John Birdy, Jr., was born on October 19, 1926, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Earl John Birdy, Sr., and Margaret Kern Birdy. A century later, he has a lifetime of stories to tell, often with a laugh and always with something to teach.
Earl grew up in Hazelwood, where the steel mills shaped daily life and neighbors looked after one another. His three older sisters helped look after him. Money could be scarce, but the neighborhood was rich in friendship. His father’s car and the family telephone were shared with neighbors who needed a ride or a call. “Everybody knew everybody,” Earl recalled.
On steep cobblestone streets, Earl discovered sports. He became captain of the soccer team at Gladstone Junior High School. When his family moved to East Liberty, Peabody High School seemed enormous. He hugged the lockers to avoid the older football players. “They had hair on their chest. And they shaved!” Before long, he was playing alongside them. His greatest high school athletic thrill was helping Peabody win Pennsylvania’s state volleyball championship.
His nickname came from singing “Minnie the Moocher.” Friends shortened it to “Mooch,” and it stuck so thoroughly that some classmates hardly knew his real name.
At 18, Earl joined the Marines during World War II. He wanted to protect his family and serve his country. Training took him far from Pittsburgh, followed by service on Guam and in China. Guard duty could be frightening, and fellow Marines depended on one another. “I grew up those two years that I served in the Marine Corps,” he said. In China, he began officiating games between Marines, starting a career that would eventually take him to major college football fields.
With help from the GI Bill, Earl attended Slippery Rock, pursuing his ambition to teach and coach. He competed in track and field and met Shirley Dean, a fellow physical education student. Watching her march across the football field caught his attention. Their courtship included a practical exchange: he taught her to jitterbug, and she helped him pass tap dancing, with taps attached to his Marine Corps boots.
They graduated in 1951 and married on June 19, 1952. Their marriage lasted more than 70 years. Together they raised four children, made education a family priority, and shared their love of teaching. Later came six grandchildren, travel, tennis, and many happy memories. When Shirley’s health declined, Earl and their daughter Pam cared for her at home.
Earl and Shirley taught swimming and water safety, trained instructors, and worked at summer pools. Shirley taught synchronized swimming and produced water shows. Earl directed the pool at St. Clair Country Club, where generations learned under the watchful eye of “Mr. Birdy.” Over his career, he taught more than 1,000 people to swim. He learned children’s names, made lessons fun, and took safety seriously. Former students still call him Mr. Birdy.
At Carnegie Mellon University, Earl taught physical education and swimming, directed intramurals, and eventually retired as a tenured faculty member. He also coached and directed athletics at St. Edmund’s Academy. His office sign invited students in: “Please come in, I can help.” Whether the problem involved school or a girlfriend, he listened. “If I don’t have the answer, I know where to get it, and I’ll make the phone call.”
That willingness to help followed him onto the football field. After officiating before 40,000 people at Pitt Stadium one Saturday, Earl was awakened from his Sunday nap because the officials hadn’t arrived for a nearby grade-school game. He put on his uniform, climbed under the fence, and officiated the game alone. When the coach offered him five dollars, Earl declined.
His NCAA Division I football officiating career and work in education brought recognition in three sports halls of fame: Western Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock, and Carnegie Mellon.
As Earl approaches his 100th birthday, his familiar advice still fits: “If you want to swim, kick your feet, reach and pull, and hold your breath.” And his message to those who have shared his life is simple: “Thank you very much for all the good times and great memories we had together.”
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