Mr. Michael A. Wallisch - BLS 1971
Mike was born 11/26/1952 of Fred and Patricia Wallisch of Baldwin Borough, One of six children, Mike attended St. Albert the Great Parish along with his siblings; Anne, Mary, Joan, Ruth and Kent. At the Latin School, he was VP of Student Council, Senior Class President, and received School Spirit Award presented by Bishop Leonard at Graduation in 1971. At home, Mike earned his Eagle Scout and was awarded the Ad Altare Dei presented to him by Bishop Wright.
After BLS, Mike attended University of Pittsburgh with a double major, Mass Communications and Political Science. During his final term, Mike was the "Pitt Panther" in full panther costume. After Pitt, in 1977, Mike received his Juris Doctorate Degree from St. Mary's University, a Marianist University in San Antonio, the oldest and largest Catholic university in Texas.
Mike's career began at the law offices of John F. Feeney, and then onto Rockwood Insurance Company, then, the Law Firm of Luke & Anthony. In 1986, he started in own practice and continues 28 years later. In his business life, Mary Watson, his secretary of 25 years and his bookkeeper, Patricia Scheuring, 76 years young, keep the office in order. Mike is a member of Allegheny and Pennsylvania Bar Association, and is licensed to practice in the Supreme Court of Texas, Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, United States District Court of Western Dist. of PA, U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania, United States Tax Court, The Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and The Supreme Court of the United States.
In 1985, Mike married Patricia Sullivan Wallisch. Mike and Patty have two children, Thomas, a Professional FreeSkier living in Park City, UT and Amy, who teaches high school history and psychology in Ithaca, New York.
One of Mike's favorite analogies is the tapestry. From the back of the tapestry it just looks like a bunch of messy stitching, but turn it over and it is beautiful. We can only see the back of the tapestry. God sees the completed work.
Mike says if he has a special forte, it is in recognizing the talents in others and surrounding himself with them. He worked with the Latin School in early Alumni gatherings, he remembers actually licking stamps (before internet) with Gary Gayda and Dick McDivitt in the '70's. In later years, at the request of Father Henry S.J., Mike came to serve as a Board Member, and legal council.
