East Bay Tire's Joseph Pehanick dies

ORINDA, Calif. (Nov. 24, 2015) — Joseph Pehanick Sr., owner of East Bay Tire Co. for 20-plus years, died Nov. 20 at age 86 after extended health problems.

Born in Scranton, Pa., Mr. Pehanick was the sixth of eight children of Mary Krake and Andrew Pehanick.

After attending Seattle University on a basketball scholarship, Mr. Pehanick was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets of the National Basketball Association. He played a few years with the Bullets and Scranton (Pa.) Miners before returning to the Pacific Northwest to take a job with Boeing Aircraft Co.

In 1959 he joined East Bay Tire, hired by his father-in-law and East Bay founder Joe Fuetsch; three years earlier Mr. Pehanick married Joel Ann Fuetsch.   

In 1986, he bought the company, a Fairfield, Calif.-based wholesaler and commercial tire dealership, and as CEO helped build the company into an international wholesale operation, doing business in Asia, Europe and Australia in addition to North America.

He continued as CEO until 2001, when his son George Pehanick took over.

In 2009 Seattle University inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame in recognition of his role in leading the 1953-54 basketball team on a school-record 26-game winning streak.

His family described Mr. Pehanick as a “people person” and an extraordinary father who enjoyed his family immensely. In addition to his family, he was proud of his Slovak heritage and association with Seattle University.

He also held office with the California State Tire Dealers Association and was a longtime member of St. Perpetua Catholic church in Lafayette, Calif.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years Joelie; six children and their spouses — George (Gretchen); Alice Oliver (Dennis); Noel Walters (Gerard); Joseph (Jodi); Jennifer Buckley (Robert); and Jamie Pehanick (Leonard Gilbert); and brothers Albert (Beverly) and Michael (Ann) — and 20 grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents, sisters Helen Jurbala, Gertrude Kollar, brothers Andrew, Paul and George and grandchildren Luke and Megan Buckley.

Donations in Mr. Pehanick's honor may be made to Seattle University Athletics, P.O. Box 222000, Seattle, Wash. 98122.