Meeting the "Steeler Lady"

Two weeks ago, I had the unique pleasure of meeting one of the more interesting people I have encountered in some time. Barbara Caffacus is known around these parts as the "Steeler Lady" and the moniker is fitting. As noted in the accompanying aticle, she met me at her front door attired in Steelers garb - shirt, watch, necklace, etc...Guess the next question becomes - "What is a diehard Redskins fan doing at the home of a MORE diehard Steelers fan?Fortunately, I drew the assignment for the Daily Press, more specifically the local section, which is called HR Town Square. It comes out every Thursday and there is one for Newport News (ours) and another for Hampton. It wraps around and becomes the front page of the paper.To my surprise, Barbara's story was deemed worthy of the front page of the Town Square section, so for Newport News, it was front page news last week. I couldn't find the article on the website and her pictures were sent directly to the paper, so I am missing some visuals. But, I will work on locating something. In the meantime, here is the version I sent in (a bit different then the final edited copy). Thank you Barbara for a most interesting afternoon and certainly for the cookies you made. They have been awesome!!

There is little doubt that the moniker given to the woman who greets a reporter at her front door is fitting.

Clad in a Steelers t-shirt, necklace and watch (“what did you expect me to wear?”), Barbara Caffacus is the formal name of the woman also known to neighbors and business owners in her Hidenwood neighborhood as “The Steeler Lady.” Approaching her 74^th birthday next month, Caffacus is a ball of energy, much more active and spirited than people half her age. Originally from the Pittsburgh area, she, husband Robert and three children relocated to Newport News in 1968. But from looking through the pictures in the “Champions Book,” which sits on the coffee table of the home’s “Steelers Room,” it is obvious that her love for sports started while living in the Keystone state.

 “I had a ticket to the Mazeroski game,” says Caffacus in a moment of reflection. In that seventh and deciding game of the 1960 World Series, Bill Mazeroski of the Pirates hit a game-winning home run which clinched the championship for Pittsburgh. “But I had to work and couldn’t go.” Flipping through the pages of the book, there is also a picture of Jack Nicklaus.

“I saw Nicklaus beat Arnold Palmer at the 1962 U.S. Open at Oakmont,” referring to the fabled golf match which was held in Pennsylvania. Also included are tennis pictures, including several from the ten-hour marathon at last year’s Wimbledon between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Why tennis?

“There are a bunch of us who play. Some of us are in our 70’s, 80’s, a couple are in their 90’s. But we play some serious tennis.”

The group has expanded its interests beyond the field of sport.

“We’re a singing ministry. We go to various hospitals and charity events to sing. Please don’t forget to mention this, it is important.”

Helping others has been a staple in Caffacus’ life. She retired from the Newport News school system after 28 years as a teaching assistant at Palmer (“my daughter teaches there now!”) and Yates elementary schools, then went to work as a substitute teacher at Hidenwood.

Friends are especially important to Caffacus. Her Steelers room is adorned with many knick-knacks, several dating back decades. There is the large stain mug from the 1974-75 season, noting the team’s first Super  Bowl win with all the games and scores, the books by owner Dan Rooney, Tony Dungy (a Steeler alum) and Terry Bradshaw, and Super Bowl picture collages. A more recent addition to her collection is a football signed by Newport News native and Steeler coach Mike Tomlin. However, this football was signed by Tomlin at a tailgate party following the Steelers Super Bowl 27-23 win over Arizona in 2009. Many of her collectibles, including the youth football picture which included Tomlin as a 7^th grade player, were donated by friends and family. “They know how much I love the Steelers and gave me these items to put in here. It really is a group effort.” Says Caffacus, this is a “love room.”

One of those friends is Pat Hawkins. High school classmates from Western Pennsylvania and friends for over 60 years, both Caffacus and Hawkins now live in Virginia, with Hawkins settling in Lynchburg. Among the shared stories is one of how the two have to travel to each other’s house whenever the Steelers make it to the Super Bowl (three times in last six years). “Of course, people usually want to come here because of the room.”

Caffacus has no one favorite Steeler. “There are four and you see that I have pictures of all of them on the wall.” Surely enough, one wall of the “Steelers Room” includes smaller Fathead-model photos of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward. One special picture in the “Champions Book” includes Ward sporting a Polamalu-like mop of curly black hair, reminiscent of the shampoo commercial featuring baseball player Joe Mauer mimicking the All-Pro strong safety, known as much for his dark mane of locks as his stalwart playing ability.

In spite of the Steelers 2-2 start this season, the Steeler Lady remains optimistic. “Last year, we didn’t have Roethlisberger for four weeks and look what happened. We made it to the Super Bowl.”