Oscar M. Balter was not just a colorful personality in his lifetime, but he had the wardrobe to match.
He and his brother William were co-owners of Jaison's, a well-known, family-run clothing chain with a flagship store in Braddock that had memorable winding staircases and racks of suits, dresses and shoes, some exclusive.
In its heyday, the family owned seven stores in addition to the one in Braddock: McKeesport, Monroeville Mall, South Hills Village, Greengate Mall in Westmoreland County, Century III Mall and Southland Shopping Center.
Oscar graduated from Braddock High School, skipping three grades along the way, and went on to attend University of Pittsburgh. He was one of the youngest to graduate from Pitt's law school. He practiced law for several years, enjoying the "hard cases" that no one else wanted to take, his daughter later recalled.
Friends and family appreciated his gregarious, fun-loving and selfless nature. He had a gift for dialects, perfecting impersonations of Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy.
Other times, he would drive long distances to pick up employees and take them to work. He even used his legal expertise to help retrieve a friend's daughter from a cult and return her to her family.
Oscar passed away on Dec. 1, 1995 at the age of 96.
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