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Family & colleagues remember Mahoning atty A. Robert ‘Bob’ Steiskal
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: January 18, 2024
As a solo practitioner in Mahoning County, A. Robert “Bob” Steiskal earned a reputation as a staunch advocate for his clients, who was not afraid to take on challenging cases.
“Bob believed very strongly that everyone deserved their day in court,” said Mahoning County Chief Deputy Clerk of Courts Kathi McNabb Welsh. “Bob loved the practice of law and was a frequent visitor to the courthouse.
“The court staff loved him because he was very polite and had a great sense of humor,” said McNabb Welsh. “He always came in with a few jokes and made everyone laugh, while treating everyone with respect.”
Mahoning County Probate Court Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. said as a practitioner Steiskal was a tough opponent who knew his cases inside and out.
“When I was practicing, Bob and I were on opposite sides of a couple of matters and I can tell you that Bob never cut any corners and he would not let you cut any corners either.
“After I took the bench, he came before me and I remember that he was always respectful and well-prepared,” said Judge Rusu. “He was the type of person who wanted to help people in any way he could. He loved to fish and visit national parks; and when he learned that I was planning on visiting Yellowstone National Park, he brought me all his trail maps and a list of places that he recommended I visit.
“He was a really fun guy who liked to tell jokes and tease, with the best of intentions,” Judge Rusu said.
On Oct. 15, 2023 Steiskal passed away at his home in Canfield Township. He was 83.
“Bob was a wonderful man,” said his wife and former legal secretary Mary Rose Steiskal. “Everyone who knew him liked him. He had the ability to make people laugh.
“Bob loved being a lawyer and helping people,” said Mary Rose. “He was a very positive person.
“He treated his clients like family,” she said. “It was truly a blessing and an honor to know him and be a part of his life.”
Born in Youngstown on May 15, 1940, he was the eldest of the late Art Steiskal and Mildred Call Steiskal’s two sons. He graduated from Austintown Fitch High School in 1958.
During high school, Steiskal played football, ran track and was a boy scout with Troop 84 in Austintown.
Steiskal was the senior patrol leader for the Mahoning County contingent to the 1957 Jamboree in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. He earned an Eagle Scout award together with the Order of the Arrow.
He majored in political science and history at the institution now known as Youngstown State University and graduated in 1962.
After earning his juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law in 1965, Steiskal joined the U.S. Air Force as an officer.
He was assigned to the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) as an investigator and counterintelligence officer. The office provides professional investigative services to commanders of all Department of Air Force activities, with the goal of neutralizing serious criminal, terrorist and espionage threats.
In December 1967, Steiskal was sent to the Vietnamese language school in Washington, D.C. for an intensive six-month course. He then went to Vietnam, where he conducted intelligence operations.
As a result of his language skills, his wife said, he was asked to assist additional military units and dealt with Korean, Australian and other countries’ forces. He was awarded a Bronze Star for his service.
Upon returning from Vietnam, Steiskal was transferred to the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan, where he was the commander of the detachment.
When he was honorably discharged in 1970, he was a captain.
After serving in the military, Steiskal started a law practice in downtown Youngstown, sharing space with attorney Bernard Wilkes for eight years. In 1978, he opened his own office in Austintown.
During his legal career, he handled a wide variety of matters, including domestic relations, corporate, real estate, social security, traffic and probate. He also did pro bono work.
He met his wife, Mary Rose Bero in the early 1970s.
“I worked in the trust department of a bank in Youngstown and my boss introduced us,” said Mary Rose. “I started working for him as a legal secretary in 1974, initially part time and later full time.”
They were married on May 15, 1982 and had one daughter, Erika Steiskal.
In the late 1980s, Steiskal took over a portion of his father’s commercial real estate business, which became known as Westgate Properties of Mahoning County Inc.
He continued to practice full time, while managing the company’s assets.
“Bob was not afraid of hard work,” said Mary Rose.
“Bob played an important role in the construction of a new county courthouse in Canfield,” said Mary Rose. “The company owned the property and won the construction bid. Bob was instrumental in the planning and layout of the court and he obtained the contractors.
“The corporation did the same thing in Boardman,” she said. “His son Jeffrey later took over the business sometime in 2022.”
A trustee of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers from 1978-1979, Steiskal was a longtime member of the Mahoning County, Trumbull County, Ohio State and American bar associations.
Steiskal was also a member of VFW Post 9571 and served as president and lieutenant governor of the Austintown Optimist Club.
His former law school classmate and friend Patrick Allen, now of counsel at Casper & Casper in Dayton, said Steiskal continued to be actively involved with Ohio Northern University.
“He would often help me set up the law school class reunions,” said Allen. “We initially did them every five years and later every two years.
“We had a reunion at Bob’s about a month before he died. Some classmates could not make it. Bob had a great time. Bob was so happy that he could share the time with us.
“Bob was one of my best friends,” said Allen. “Although we did not practice together I know that he was a very intelligent attorney, who was dedicated to his clients. He was always willing to go an extra step to help someone who asked for his help and willing to help even if he wasn’t asked.”
The two kept in touch over the years and Allen said when he was doing interviews for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress, Steiskal agreed to talk about his experiences.
“It was a very harrowing time and Bob was in some real tough situations, but he was very dedicated to what he was doing,” said Allen. “Many Vietnam vets are reluctant to tell their stories and Bob was also but our friendship overcame that reluctance.”
Outside of his work, his wife Mary Rose said Steiskal enjoyed traveling, especially with her and the entire family.
“He opened up a whole new world for me,” said Mary Rose. “I never traveled until after we married. When we had Erika, Bob said that traveling, especially for children, was an education in and of itself and would greatly influence their lives.
“Bob was in all 50 states, most of central and southern Europe, much of Canada and part of the Orient,” said Mary Rose. “He especially loved exploring the national parks and New England with the grandchildren.”
A memorial service was held for Steiskal on Oct. 20, 2023 at the Canfield chapel of Lane Family Funeral Homes.
He is survived by his wife Mary Rose Steiskal, daughter Erika Steiskal (Chris Adolph), sons Arthur Robert Steiskal III (fiancé Lisa Cusano) and Jeffrey M. Steiskal (Wendy) along with his grandchildren Gavin and Madelyn “Maddy” Steiskal, Justin, Lindsey and Alaina Grace Steiskal and Freya Rose Adolph.
He was preceded in death by his parents Art and Mildred Call Steiskal, his brother Richard N. Steiskal and his former spouse Marlene Mogish Steiskal.