Andy Dzurinko will always see the glass as half-full. He is the eternal optimist.
"It's never too early or too late to start (being optimistic)," Dzurinko said during a visit to Monessen.
"You must understand all the great personal assets you possess and use them fully and in the best way possible to achieve your dreams and desires ... become the best person you can be no matter who you are or what you do."
Dzurinko, a 1961 graduate of Monessen High School now living in Tempe, Ariz., bases those positive thoughts on experiences as a successful athlete, teacher, coach, insurance executive, author, motivational speaker and, more importantly, son, father and grandfather.
Throughout his life, Dzurinko, 65, has kept a series of personal notes, stories, clippings and memories. That collection evolved into a book, "The Power of Optimism, Insights to Personal and Professional Growth" (Dragon Press), which is now in its third printing.
"I didn't set out to write a book," Dzurinko said while relaxing in the living room of longtime friends Jim and Karen Lewitsky of Monessen. "My life has consistently been blessed with opportunities to meet many wonderful people and develop lasting personal and business relationships. I felt a need to share those experiences with others ... to help them understand the 'Everybody's Got to Feel Like Somebody' principle.
"Each person wants to know that you see his or her individual value and respect his or her contribution. If you practice the 'Everybody' tenet and recognize the worth and values of others as well as of yourself, then all good things are possible."
The genesis of Dzurinko's positive outlook lies in his formative years in Monessen.
He is the eldest of five children born to Anne Simon Dzurinko, 87, who now makes her home with him in Arizona, and the late Andrew Dzurinko. His brother, John David Dzurinko, died Dec. 9, 2004. Their sisters, Elizabeth and Lorraine, reside in Atlantic City and another sister, Debbie, lives in Bala Cynwyd (near Philadelphia).
"My dad was always very upbeat," Dzurinko said with a smile. "He worked in the mill (Monessen plant of Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp.) 46 years and never missed a day of work. He took pride in that; he was a hard working and loyal employee. Above all, he was a selfless and loving provider for family and friends."
The elder Dzurinko's commitment to family and friends continued long after retirement and a move to the Philadelphia suburb of Wynnewood.
"He was shoveling snow for a neighbor on the day he died," Dzurinko recalled of his father's passing at age 82 on Dec. 5, 2002. "That was typical of him, helping someone else. I remember that as a way of life in Monessen, neighbors helping neighbors, and my dad never quit. He had cleared his sidewalk and was doing the same for a neighbor when he had the heart attack that took him from us."
Dzurinko also recalled his father being active as a member and leader of the Upper Darby Senior Center, where he helped with operations, delivered meals, sang and provided transportation for older adults.
"Oh, he loved to sing," Dzurinko said. "I can still hear his voice filling our home with one song or another."
His father, a World War II veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, also was an outstanding fast-pitch softball pitcher for some of the best teams in Monessen in the 1940s and 1950s.
Meanwhile, Anne Dzurinko was, and remains, a "loving mother and wife ... devoted to her family."
"She was always busy cooking or baking something for us or a church or community event," Dzurinko said. "People today still remind me that Mom made the best kibbi they ever tasted."
Dzurinko has been his mother's caretaker for several years.
"It's been a wonderful experience having her here," he said. "I learn something new from her every day."
Anne Dzurinko's parents, the late George and Elizabeth Simon, also impacted Andy's life in a big way. He emphasized that point by dedicating his book in their honor and memory.
"They were immigrants to the United States to pursue the American dream," Dzurinko said of his grandparents. "Like others from their era, they were hard-working people who cared about family and community and built a strong foundation of love and respect for us to follow."
Dzurinko's ties to the area also remain strong with his uncle, Tom Simon of Denbo, with whom he visited during his recent return to Monessen. Simon is a retired steelworker, a former president of USW Local 3403 at Monessen Southwestern Railroad, and a former staff representative for USW District 15.
"Tom was a great role model for me," Dzurinko said.
Dzurinko often refers to the "positive environment" that influenced his life while growing up in Monessen, the Mon Valley and western Pennsylvania in his role as a public speaker.
"There are so many (western Pennsylvanian natives) around the United States," he said. "And that's certainly true here in the Tempe area. So many people can relate to what I have to say. I was speaking at a conference not long ago and asked if anyone had ever heard about Monessen, Pennsylvania. A woman in the crowd raised her hand and said, 'I sure do. I was a cheerleader at Clairton (High School) when you were playing football at Monessen.' Talk about a small world."
Football was a big part of Dzurinko's life for many years. In addition to being an outstanding player at Monessen High School and Bucknell University in Lewisburg, he was a coach at the high school and college levels for many years. He made a career change in 1978 when he joined American United Life Insurance Company in Indianapolis. He moved to Tempe in 1989.
As a successful insurance executive, he is a chartered life underwriter and chartered financial consultant. He also has worked as director of training and regional vice president of agencies and has qualified for numerous professional awards.
Buoyed by those life and career experiences, Dzurinko decided to write his first book with August J. Aquila, Ph.D., an author and internationally known consultant and speaker to the accounting and financial services profession. Information about the book and other aspects of Dzurinko's positive attitude is available at www.ThePowerofOptimism.com
"I wrote the book to share my good fortune, experience and belief that most people want to associate and work with someone who has high standards, works and plays hard, respects others, maintains a sense of humor, and has a positive attitude," Dzurinko said. "Whether you read a page or a chapter, we hope you will feel good about yourself and your ability to do anything you desire, that you will say, 'I can do that.'"
Dzurinko's next book, co-authored with Dr. James Harris, "Laugh and Live. Be Happy, Be Healthy," will be published this year.
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