Longtime Peters Township resident surprised with party for 103rd birthday
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Andrew Slavonic, accompanied by son Bob, is saluted as he arrives for his surprise party at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 in Peters Township.
Andrew Slavonic was born Dec. 1, 1917.
A flag that flew in Finleyville honors Andrew Slavonic's military service.
Andrew Slavonic is congratulated by Rachel Silva.
From left are Bob Slavonic, Andrew Slavonic and Sue Melzer.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Andrew Slavonic is greeted by, from left, granddaughter Jamie Melzer and her boyfriend, Ryan Compton; daughter Sue Melzer; grandson Jason Melzer; son Bob Slavonic; and relatives Jim and Mary Slovonic.
Pete Coors greets Andrew Slavonic during his 2019 visit to Golden, Colo.
Andrew Slavonic's granddaughter, Jamie Melzer, helps him celebrate at VFW Post 764 in Peters Township.
Andrew Slavonic and his daughter, Sue Melzer, celebrate his birthday.
The celebration of his 103rd birthday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 came as a surprise to Andrew Slavonic, accompanied by his son, Bob.
Andrew and Bob Slavonic approach the well-wishers at Veterans of Foreign War Post 764.
Andrew Slavonic is saluted as he arrives at his surprise party.
Andrew Slavonic tips his cap to his well-wishes, including Veterans of Foreign Wars life member Dom DeFranco, left, and Bob Slavonic.
Happy 103rd!
Honored guest Andrew Slavonic is joined in the Coors Brewery tap room by family members, from left, Ashley and Jason Melzer, Bob Slavonic, and Jamie and Sue Melzer.
The Pittsburgh Penguins presented Andrew Slavonic with a special jersey and honored him at a game for his 101st birthday.
The VFW sign displays a salute to Andrew Slavonic.
Salutes from family members, friends, first responders and fellow veterans greeted Andrew Slavonic on his latest visit to the local VFW.
“You guys really took me by surprise,” he said about the special welcome. “I wasn’t expecting this. I wanted to stay home and take a nap.”
He was delighted, though, to discover everyone had gathered to celebrate his 103rd birthday at Veterans of Foreign Wars Memorial Park Post 764 in Peters Township. The party took place on a sunny Saturday morning, three days before his actual birthday Dec. 1.
Andy, as he’s known at the VFW, was in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
“I didn’t serve overseas. I was in the states all the time,” he recalled. “I was one of the lucky ones.”
A native of Hazelwood, Andy was a longtime Peters Township resident before recently moving to Cecil. He worked in sales for Jessop Steel Corp. in Washington and continued after its acquisition by Allegheny Ludlum, until he finally retired after a long career.
“I hung on ’til I was 78,” he said.
He probably could have passed for a much younger man, as he can today as a centenarian. Part of the reason, perhaps, is the glass of Coors Light he enjoys each day at 4 p.m.
His affinity for that particular beer, combined with his longevity and service in the military, earned him and members of his family a trip to Golden, Colo., when he was 101.
“They invited us out to Coors and gave us the red carpet treatment. Beautiful. We had lunch with the big shot who owns the company,” Andy said about Pete Coors, former chief executive officer and great-grandson of brewing company founder Adolph Coors. “They also took us through a tour of the brewery. We really saw how they make beer, and we drank beer right out of the tap.”
As far as enjoying a certain beverage, Andy would seem to take after his mother, Anna, who lived to be 98.
“She drank a couple of beers every day,” his son, Bob Slavonic, said. “They actually put a beer in her casket.”
“She had her favorite beer mug,” Andy added, “and she carried that with her all day long.”
Anna and Charles Slavonic had 11 children. When their youngest daughter, Helen Roth, died at 92 in July, Andy became the sole surviving sibling.
His own advanced age hasn’t preventing him from being a regular at the VFW, at least before COVID-19 disrupted the post’s operations.
“Before they shut down, we were coming here either every Friday or every Saturday for dinner,” Bob said.
The doors did open, of course, for Andy’s birthday party, with Bob joined by sister Sue Melzer and her children, Jamie and Jason Melzer. Also attending the celebration were relatives Jim and Mary Slovonic, who, for reasons that are lost to history, spell their surname a bit differently.
A whole lot of other well-wishers also turned out on behalf of a well-deserving honoree. And everyone managed to keep it a secret.