Sep 19, 2025 By Karen Mansfield 5 min read

Dale Lolley

Dale Lolley, the passionate and thoughtful Washington Observer-Reporter and Steelers.com sportswriter who cared as deeply about youth sports as he did about the Pittsburgh Steelers, died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 56.

During his standout career at the O-R, DK Pittsburgh Sports, and Steelers.com, sports fans looked to Lolley as a trusted source for scholastic and professional sports.

For a decade, Lolley kept thousands of people company every day on the radio as co-host of the popular daily Steelers Nation Radio sports broadcast “The Drive.”

And he played a pivotal role in Washington Youth Baseball, wearing hats as a coach, council member, and umpire for more than two decades. As co-founder of the Founders League for Pony League World Series, Lolley helped turn the Washington County Pony League World Series teams into annual contenders for the championship.

Lolley cherished the privilege of sharing sports stories with people in Southwestern Pennsylvania and across the country who welcomed him into their lives.

As news of Lolley’s death became public, tributes from his friends, colleagues in the media, followers of his print and broadcast work, and former athletes from his Washington Youth Baseball teams poured in.

Mason Myers, whose Mustang team was coached by Lolley, wrote, “Such a great mentor and role model to many of us, played a huge role in my life as a young child growing up. Will never forget some of the best years of my life playing for you.”

Myers, 27, said on Thursday that Lolley “showed a genuine interest in me and shared all of his knowledge with me.”

“I don’t know any player who played for him who he didn’t have an impact on,” said Myers. “He had a huge knowledge of baseball and football, and we talked about that a lot.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers posted on X, “We mourn the loss of Dale Lolley.”

Joshua Falvo, who served alongside Lolley on Washington Youth Baseball Council, grieved Lolley’s passing.

“He poured countless hours into the organization,” said Falvo. “He didn’t serve with an agenda. His kids had already played through the league and were grown men. He served with a passion to make things better than he found them.”

Said Darin Smith, executive board member of Washington Youth Baseball and managing partner of Printscape, sponsor of Pony League World Series, “Dale volunteered more time and energy with youth baseball in Washington County than anyone I know. He was able to watch this year’s Pony League World Series team come so darn close to winning the world championship. This was a direct result of Dale’s hard work and efforts over the past 10 years to put Washington on the map as a world contender at the World Series.”

Lolley was as much a fan of sports as he was a sports journalist, and he loved to play basketball.

He was a member of the 1985 North Clarion High School Basketball team that won a Pennsylvania district championship and the 1986 team that placed second.

For many years, the lanky and athletic Lolley played in a local basketball league, and his fiery competitiveness was evident on the court. He wasn’t afraid to throw elbows.

“He loved sports, period,” said Abe Key, president of PONY League World Series, who played basketball with Lolley for several years at Washington & Jefferson and Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center. “He had a passion for organizing sports and a passion for competing. He loved to compete. This is a big loss for our community. He leaves a big void. It will be hard to move forward without Dale.”

A Clarion County native, Lolley joined the Observer-Reporter in 1992 a year after he graduated from Pitt-Johnstown and launched his newspaper career at the Oil City Derrick.

In 1993, he started covering the Steelers, a dream-come-true for the die-hard Black and Gold fan. He became a beat reporter for DK Sports in 2017, but still worked as a contributing columnist for the O-R before he expanded his role for Steelers.com in 2022, covering the team full time.

Lolley covered four Super Bowls, including Steelers wins in Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII.

Lolley’s “The Drive” co-host Matt Williamson fought back tears on-air during the opening segment of the show on the day after Lolley’s passing.

“What stood out was, he’s like the hardest-working dude I’ve worked with,” said Williamson. “He was just a really good person. He had a tough exterior, but when you got to know him, there was so much to like about him. He was really good at his job, was a blast to be with, and he loved his family, Pittsburgh Nation, and his job.”

Williamson said he and Lolley talked about football – including fantasy football – well beyond their work hours.

Lolley was a founding member of the ORFL (Observer-Reporter Fantasy League), which started in 1993, and won the league championship in 2024.

“He took every opportunity to remind people that he was the defending champion going into this year,” said O-R sports editor Chris Dugan. “Dale was probably the most competitive person I’ve known, whether it was on the basketball court or playing fantasy football or trying to get a story. And that’s what made him so good at what he did and contributed to his success.”

Lolley is survived by his wife, Amy D. Lolley; sons Noah and Tanner, and daughter Madelyn. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon, when the service will be held, at Pittsburgh Cremation & Funeral Care, 3287 Washington Road, McMurray. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made in Lolley’s name to Washington Youth Baseball, P.O. Box 851, Washington, Pa., 15301.