JOHN CAULEY

John Cauley was an engineer for Westinghouse for many years.    He was an incredibly talented engineer who had patented several different inventions.  John even began to build a digital chess clock for the Monroeville Chess Club, but became sick and was unable to finish the project.

John had learned to play chess in grade school.   He loved the game and as a young man would play every chance he got.  He would tell stories of some of his Westinghouse lunchtime chess battles.

After retiring from Westinghouse, John started his own computer engineering consulting company. Retirement allowed John more time to enjoy his grandchildren, Ryan, Nathan, Edmund, Christian and Derek.  He would teach and play chess with them among the other activities they enjoyed together.  Once hearing that a neighbor of his grandchildren, Delbert Tyler, was teaching chess every Saturday morning, John immediately volunteered his time to help.  He was there every Saturday with new creative ideas on how to teach the children the game of chess.  Coaching these children became a passion.  As long as John was physically able, he would not miss a chess meeting.  As this chess group evolved from 15 (2-6 grade) neighborhood children to the Monroeville Chess Club with 70 (K-12 grade) members in 2000, John continued his enthusiasm and developed a specialty for teaching and solving chess puzzles.  He was therefore, dubbed the Puzzle Master.  John also developed a special interest in working with the Club’s girls.  He was hopeful that he could spark some fire in this underrepresented group, much like Laszlo Polgar developed his daughters to be champions.

Due to his illness, John, unfortunately, did not make any of the trips to the Pennsylvania State Championships.  But John was always there to welcome the team home and congratulate them for a job well done.  Under his tutelage, Monroeville Chess Club won several individual and team champions, including 1998 top girl in the K-6 Division.

In 1998 John was diagnosed with cancer.  Even after his diagnosis, he would still visit the club every chance he could.   As his disease progressively weakened his body, he continued to be an inspiration to the Club.  On April 4, 2000, John died but his legacy lives on.

His memory and love for chess and the children he touched, continues through the Monroeville Chess Club John Cauley Memorial College Scholarship Fund developed in his honor.  This Fund was initially started in 2000 with money donated by John’s brothers, sisters and other close relatives who understood his love for the Club and chess.  The Fund is presently supported with proceeds from the annual John Cauley Memorial Chess Championships, also named in John’s honor.  Click here to see the current list of scholarship recipients.  The Scholarship is currently awarded annually at the Club’s banquet held in June.  The Fund is small, but currently awards a $500 college scholarship to qualifying candidates.  The Scholarship criteria mirror the chess values that John emphasized.