Philip A. Axelrod

AXELROD: Philip A. Axelrod: 12-14-1946 to 7-21-2014. Age 67, cause of death lung cancer. Phil Axelrod was a devoted father, husband and friend first and foremost. His other love was sports, which he wrote about for the Post-Gazette for 37 years and for magazines like Sport, The Sporting News and Football Digest. While at the P-G, Phil covered mostly college sports, including Pitt’s glory days in football, as well as college sports of all sorts — mainly basketball — plus golf, tennis and bowling. He loved his Buccos and was a devoted follower of his alma mater, Duquesne University. He cut back on travel when his son, Josh, was born in 1992, and he coached Josh in Dynamo Soccer for 10 years. Phil and his wife, Sharon Eberson, authored a book on the history of the Dapper Dan Roundball Classic, and he provided radio color commentary for Robert Morris basketball for a season. The Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill was his home away from home, and you could find him there on any given Sunday morning playing basketball. He loved his hometown, where he still had friends since childhood, and was proud to say his son attended Allderdice HIgh School, as he did. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Eberson, his son, Josh Axelrod, of Falls Church, Va., and sister Nancy Axelrod of Washington, D.C. Services were held at Ralph Schugar Chapel, Inc. Interment West View Cemetery of Rodef Shalom Congregation. Please send contributions to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh, 5738 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 or the American Cancer Society, 320 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. schugar.com.

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