Living on Washington Road, close to their own Potomac Bakery,
was sweet for the Tates. In front of the counter: Reg Tate, Lillian
Tate, Lynda Tate and Bob Tate. Behind counter: Christy Hoffman,
Ann Tuchnowski, Carolyn Lang.

The Tates
education and our well-kept homes that tend to be updated as
they turn over.

Jody has seen many changes over the years. “We are more racially
integrated," she says, "and I also see more families with two parents
working."
Her daughter and son-in-law initially looked outside Mt.

Lebanon at homes with more property. But when they realized
how far they would need to drive to get anywhere, they narrowed
their search to Mt. Lebanon. “Growing up on Fruithurst, we had
a great neighborhood," says Brienne. "All we needed was right out
the back door. That’s where our friends were. And that’s what Matt
and I wanted for our kids."
Their Pueblo Drive neighborhood is full of kids and friendly
people, presenting plenty of teachable moments, Brienne says: “I
think Mt. Lebanon is all about teaching your kids to be a neighbor.

Our homes are so close to each other, we have no choice but to
show respect."
The Tates Wanting a house close to Potomac Bakery on
Washington Road brought Reginald “Reg” and Lillian Tate
to Mt. Lebanon. The bakery, established in 1927 on Potomac
Avenue in Dormont, was started by Lillian Tate’s parents, who
were German immigrants. In 1954, they convinced Lillian and
Reg to join the family business. Lillian and Reg’s first home was
at 806 Washington Road. Later, when 810 Washington Road
went on the market, they moved next door. That was in 1958.

“Some people don’t want a house on Washington Road. We didn’t
mind it then. And we don’t mind it now. Our kids could walk to
everything,” recalls Reg. Of the Tate’s eight children, four are rais-
ing families in Mt. Lebanon. Bob Tate and his wife, Linda, Park
Entrance Drive, have two children, Jourdan, 22, and Jonathan,
17. “I went to school here. And if I didn’t give [my children] the
same opportunity, I’d feel like I was letting them down,” says Bob,
who runs Potomac Bakery.

Carolyn Tate Lang met her husband, Mike, while they were
students at St. Bernard’s. While their family
was growing, they moved several times, but
the long bus rides to school for the kids,
and the commute back to Mt. Lebanon
daily to the bakery convinced Carolyn
and Mike to return. They built a home on
Florida Avenue right in Reg and Lillian's
backyard. They have four children, Eric,
26, and recently married, Kristen 24, Ryan
20, and Paul, 16.

Like her sister, Ann Tate Tuchnowski of
Sunnyhill Drive also married a man with
South Hills connections. Tom Tuchnowski
grew up in Beechview and has siblings liv-
ing in the area, so when the couple moved
to Cincinnati with Tom’s job, they always
hoped to return to Pittsburgh. “Living in
The Colbys
Moving back to Mt. Lebanon was a real
homecoming for the Colby family. Front row:
Colby and Ty Sembrat. Middle row: Brienne
Sembrat, Jim Ross, Harriet Ross, Lynne
Blanning and Jody Colby. Standing: Matt
Sembrat, Dale Colby.

www.mtlebanon.org 51



The Delanos began their Mt. Lebanon life in
this Inglewood Drive home where June, the
matriarch, still lives. Front row: Katie Delano,
Michael Marks, Anna Delano Marks, Sarah
Delano, Adam Marks and June Delano. Back
Row: Jon Delano, Jane Delano, Ben Delano,
Michael Delano, Aaron Delano, Diane Delano,
Steve Delano. Not Pictured: Chris, Cindy and
Rachel Delano; Lindsay Delano Monikowski;
Sean, June and Eve Monikowski.

other cities has helped me appreciate Mt.

Lebanon,” says Ann. When her husband
was offered a job in Pittsburgh, their
daughter Christy, 14, was in seventh grade.

“It was perfect timing. I’m happy to be
back among my old friends. And we have
so much family here. Now instead of just
special holidays, we can enjoy spontaneous
times with our families,” Ann says.

Christy Tate Hoffman and her hus-
band, Mike, bought the home on North
Meadowcroft Avenue that had been in
the Hoffman family for three genera-
tions. Their first child, Matt, 11, was born
there. Then Mike's job took them to
Longwood, Florida, back to Mt. Lebanon in 2001, back to
Lake Mary, Florida, and finally back to Mt. Lebanon and Rock
Haven Lane a year and a half ago. The Hoffmans now have four
children: besides Matt, there is Annie, 8, Jake, 6, and Mary, 4.

“When my husband was offered the latest position in Pittsburgh,
Mike and I asked ourselves where we wanted to raise our kids?
Mt. Lebanon was it! And our kids get to be with their cousins and
grandparents,” says Christy.

The Delanos June Delano, Inglewood Drive, moved to
this area from New England with her husband, Bert, (who has
passed away), with four young children so that Bert could start
his new job with Cyclops Steel. Their fifth child was born here.

Cyclops offices moved to the corner of Washington Road and
Cedar Boulevard in Mt. Lebanon. The couple found a home on
Inglewood Drive in 1958, and the family recently celebrated 50
happy years in the house.

To say that June has been active in this community is to truly
understate her commitment to making Mt. Lebanon a better
place to live. In 1986, June was elected Mt. Lebanon's first female
Democratic Commissioner. She also has served on or currently is
involved with Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA),
Outreach Teen and Family Services, the League of Women
Voters, Mt. Lebanon Extended Day Program, the community
relations board and Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy. The con-
servancy's School in the Park program was June’s brainchild and
favorite project until health issues made it difficult to continue.

Professionally, June is director of graduate studies in early child-
hood education at Carlow University. Looking back on 50 years
as an active resident, June feels the important things about our
community have remained the same. “I am always impressed by
the quality of our public services, as well as how we are governed,”
she says.

52 mtl • january/february 2009
The Delanos
June’s daughter, Sarah, lives in Greenfield and June's son,
Christopher, lives in Philadelphia. The remaining three Delano
sons live in Mt. Lebanon. Michael lives with his mother. Steve
and Diane Delano, Fieldbrook Drive, have 27-year-old twins,
Adam, who recently moved back home with them and Lindsay,
who is married and lives in Pittsburgh. June’s other son, Jon, and
his wife, Jane, live on Longuevue Drive with their two children,
Katie, 14 and Ben, 13.

Jon, the political editor for KDKA News, attended Markham
School during the Baby Boom years. He remembers that his sixth
grade class had to meet in the multipurpose room because the school
was so crowded. He loves Mt. Lebanon's neighborhood schools, the
religious and economic diversity, the great parks, the interest in the
town center, and the municipal services like leaf pickup and snow
removal. “There is so much energy here in Mt. Lebanon. There is
no problem getting people involved in something,” says Jon. Jane
agrees: “People care about what is going on outside their homes.”
The five Mt. Lebanon families I talked with (besides my
own) represent a mere fraction of the many multigenerational
families living in our diverse community. Although each family
had a unique reason for coming to Mt. Lebanon, our reasons for
staying seem to have a common thread. We stay here for the top
school district, including the neighborhood elementary schools.

We stay for the unique character of our city-like suburb with
its bustling town center. And we stay because many of us have
learned that once you’ve lived here, other towns just don’t hold a
candle to our town. Jon Delano put it well:“This is a community
worth promoting.”