Frank B. Fuhrer Jr., who owned one of the largest beer distributorships in the country and owned professional sports franchises in Pittsburgh, died Saturday at UPMC St. Margaret in Aspinwall. He was 96.

A family member said Fuhrer died of congestive heart failure.

He lived in Fox Chapel with his wife Heidi and grew up in East Brady, where he was valedictorian and a star football and basketball player. He then graduated from Allegheny College, where he earned 11 letters.

Fuhrer purchased a distributorship in 1982 on East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side and named it Frank B. Fuhrer Wholesale.

Fuhrer was passionate about sports. He made an investment to help keep the Pirates in the city in 1995, and he owned the Triangles of World Team Tennis and the Spirit of the Major Indoor Soccer League.

He also loved golf. He staged the Family House Invitational for 14 years, which brought PGA Tour players in for a two-day event to help expand Family House, a facility in the East End to house families of cancer and transplant patients.

In 1997, Fuhrer started the Frank B. Fuhrer Jr. Invitational, which brought in local professionals from the Tri-State Section PGA, mini-tour players and many of the local top amateurs.

The field of 40 would play a four-round event with a $40,000 prize.

“There won’t be anyone with more passion and generosity for the game of golf,” Tri-State Section PGA Executive Director/CEO David Wright said. “The TSPGA has truly lost a friend.”

This year’s tournament will go on as planned from June 27-29 at Pittsburgh Field Club.

Fuhrer also brought back the Pittsburgh Open for the Tri-State Section PGA professionals.

“Mr. Fuhrer was a great businessman,” said Sean Knapp of Oakmont, a three-time winner of the Fuhrer Invitational who is one of the top amateur players in Western Pennsylvania. “He was a visionary, an ambassador for the game”

Fuhrer was a stickler to his rules. If you missed his event for any reason, you weren’t invited back.

He wanted people to be loyal.

Mr. Fuhrer is survived by his wife, sons David and Frank III and daughters Kate Fuhrer and Beth Wrigley, 18 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

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