Myron Biggar, former OGR Publisher, passes

Ben, you always have the best pictures.

Gerry

Sincere condolences to Myron's family. He was one of the great people in our hobby. RIP

Prayers and condolences to friend and family.  He is so important to where this hobby is today.  God Bless and keep you close Myron.

Condolences to the family.

Sincere condolences to Myron's family and friends.  A sad day.

Jim K

Condolences to his family. Myron was a Facebook friend who followed my train club and it’s progress over the years. He also took an interest in our TMCC demo group from almost 25 years ago that Lionel supported back then.
Myron will be missed as he was the cornerstone for the OGR site.

Like Ed Boyle (and around the same time), I got my start in writing for the hobby because of Myron. I approached him at a show with a product review I'd written about the Intermountain box car kit when it was revolutionizing the hobby. Before long, I opened an issue to discover, much to my surprise, I was now the Product Review Editor, and we were off to the races. Myron was quite a character and that was how he did things. Working for him was what every writer dreams of -- he published my stuff as I wrote it, without trying to put his own stamp on it. Rest in Peace , old friend.

I read this late last night and was deeply saddened. I first met Myron, and his lovely wife Nancy, in the early 90s at a large train show on Long Island. I told him I was a fan of his and the magazine. Well, after a short conversation he convinced me to write an article for the magazine. He walked me through the process and coached me along the way. It was a great experience. Through the 90s I saw them regularly at shows in the Northeast and we always had a great time talking trains and catching up. A truly great ambassador for the hobby!

My deepest condolences to his family and thank you to a man who had a positive impact on my life.

Miketg

Myron at the York Grandstand meeting in 2004......

Thank you, Myron, for all you did for the hobby!

Peter

I was presiding at a Masonic Order of the Eastern Star meeting last year and had the pleasure of bestowing on his Sister-in-Law a service pin. Also accompanying her was Nancy Biggar. I never equated the name to Myron. This past week a number of emails arrived in my inbox regarding the passing of Nancy's Husband and still the synapses did not click in my brain until tonight when signing on to the Forum after spending many days on vacation and then the lights went on.

God Bless Myron and his wife Nancy for bringing so much enjoyment my life.

As I went through these posts, I see that I was not the only one to have had my 3-rail interest revived by Myron Biggar's OGR.  That led to modern O Gauge trains, track, and, eventually, to my own layout.  May perpetual light shine upon him.

So sad to hear this news.  Condolences to the family.

@Allan Miller posted:

I am sorry to report that Myron J. Biggar, past publisher of O Scale Railroading and subsequently O Gauge Railroading from March 1986 to mid-2006, passed away early this morning. Myron was 91 years old. I was notified of his passing by his daughter, Barbara Saslo, who also worked with the magazine. I do not have details to share at this point, but will provide more information as it becomes available. Although I was not an employee in the period when Myron was owner and publisher, I was initially associated with OGR through articles I wrote that were published in the magazine, and I had a good friendship with Myron. After I became editor of OGR, Myron kept in touch from time to time to tell me what he felt I was doing right, or, more often, not so right. He was quite a character, and I will miss sharing banter with him.

truly a Man among Men

Although I never personally knew Myron Biggar, I've been keenly aware of his major significance to OGR and within the broader context of our hobby.   I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.  

I met him once at a (rare) Greenberg Show in Yonkers, NY. He was very nice and gave me 2 OGR screwdrivers, which I still have.

Tom

I hope that Myron's family will enjoy this thread and accept our appreciation of the impact Myron made and the joy he brought to a wide group of people.  My condolences...

Condolences to the family.

After one of the Right of Way open houses I took Myron back to the airport.  I must say that the conversation was enlightening.  Myron was business sharp way beyond the publishing industry. 

Lou N

Condolences to Myron family. I met Myron at a train show in the early 80s and built him a few models for his layout and did a little advertising in his magazine. He was a kind and generous man.

@Alan Graziano posted:

Condolences to Myron family. I met Myron at a train show in the early 80s and built him a few models for his layout and did a little advertising in his magazine. He was a kind and generous man.

Got any pics?

Here is a much more detailed biography/obituary for those interested:

https://www.schislerfuneralhom...bituary/myron-biggar

Apparently his roots were in Upstate New York, Rochester area. 

Thanks for sharing that.

Tom

Here is the text of Myron's obituary, from the Bartholomew-Schisler Funeral Home, in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

Myron James Biggar, (91 years) born October 10, 1931 in Rochester, New York, passed away Wednesday, August 9, 2023 at St. Lukes University Hospital, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania after a short illness. Myron was the son of the late Ralph A. Biggar and Mildred Biggar (ne. Hadley). During his 91-plus years, Myron led a full, active and adventurous life. He often saw a problem as an opportunity, and an opportunity as an adventure to help someone out and/or learn something new.

Myron is a 1950 graduate of Brighton High School, Rochester, New York. After graduating, he got a job as an usher at Radio City Music Hall while studying for a career in the radio and television industry. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1952 and through a volunteer opportunity during basic training he ended up going to Gelnhausen, Germany running an American/German school instead of serving in the Korean War until 1954. After his service, Myron returned to Rochester to settle down, start a business career, meet and marry the love of his life, Nancy Ouderkirk in 1959.

Myron’s business career moved from banking to heavy manufacturing to education and entrepreneurship. He spent many years at Ingersoll-Rand in the accounts receivable credit and collection department, which transferred the family from Rochester, N.Y. to Horseheads, N.Y., to Freehold, New Jersey, finally settling in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1977 while working at the Phillipsburg, N.J. plant. After Ingersoll-Rand, Myron travelled the world presenting and developing credit and collection seminars for Dun & Bradstreet’s educational division based out of New York City. He authored his first book while pursuing his doctorate through Century University in California.

In 1986 Myron bought the failing O Scale Railroading magazine, and over the course of 16 years turned his $5,000 cash investment into a million dollar publishing house including the much expanded magazine, a book and video division, and a model building kit division. Myron immersed himself in the 3-rail (Lionel) and 2-rail scale model railroading industry. He took great pride and personal satisfaction connecting those with great ideas and those who can make things happen. The magazine is still being published today.

As a child Myron rode real steam train engines in the late 1930s and 40s and dreamed of one day working on those trains. He accomplished some of those dreams through volunteering on several excursion railroads over his lifetime. But his all time favorite was being a train man and Conductor on the New York Susquehanna &Western Technical & Historical Society Inc. (dba. Delaware River Railroad Excursions). He volunteered countless hours many, many weekends over 20 years. From the heat of the summer trains through the cold December with the Polar Express, he was there. Even after he could no longer be certified due to his age, Myron and Nancy volunteered with crowd control on the departure platform. Trains, whether large or small or in magazines will always be a part of his life.

When Myron sold the O Gauge Railroading publishing house in 2002 he was 70 years old. He truly felt it was time for him and Nancy to retire. They traveled the country and parts of the world and enjoyed their summer place in the Finger Lakes of New York state. Yet Myron remained active with many things over the years. There was always something to look forward to doing whether it was the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce, revitalizing the Easton Masonic Center developing the second floor artists lofts and filling first floor retail space and consulting with the Erie Masonic Conference Center. Myron needed to occupy his mind and there were always opportunities.

This so-called retirement lasted about six years until his daughter, Barbara, bought a retail store selling patio furniture (some assembly required) and a gift shop. Yet again, he learned the new PVC patio furniture industry and told her stories of his retail business skills. In 2014, Barbara added a ceramic studio so she and Myron both learned how to pour low-fire ceramics and navigate a whole new world. This gave Myron and Nancy lots of physical strength and activity every day. Myron was last in the studio supervising pouring ceramics on Monday, July 24th.

Myron was an active member of Easton Masonic Lodge #152, and a Past Master of Inspiration Lodge #109, Rochester, N.Y. He is a member and Past Patron of Molly Pitcher Chapter #198, Freehold, New Jersey and thrice Past Patron of Easton Chapter #214 and member of William Parsons Chapter #185, all Order of the Eastern Star.

Myron was an active and supportive member of the Nazareth Area Society of Model Engineers (locally known as N.A.S.M.E.) for over 40 years. Their train layouts in Stockertown are a great place to run his large, small and unique rolling stock.

Myron is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Nancy Biggar (ne. Ouderkirk), his daughter, Barbara Saslo (ne. Biggar), son, Scott Biggar (wife Susan Michel), and his sister, Diana Woodruff (ne. Biggar) of Englewood, Florida.

A Celebration of Myron’s Life will be held Saturday, August 26th 2023 at St. John’s United Church of Christ, Fraunfelder Hall, 183 South Broad Street, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, from 4pm to 8pm. Please join us to talk about Myron. An Eastern Star Memorial Service will be at 5:30pm and a Masonic Memorial Service will follow at approximately 6pm. Food and fellowship to all are welcome.

Arrangements are being handled by Bartholomew-Schisler Funeral Home, Nazareth, PA.

I received this and wanted to pass it on:

My thoughts and prayers go out to Myron Biggar's family at this sad time.

Such an active life.  Thank you for sharing the obituary information.

He is a huge loss to his family, the Masons and O Gauge Railroading.

I did not know Myron. I offer my sympathies to all who did.

God bless a great life.

I met Myron many years ago at a small train show in the Lehigh Valley. Didn’t know who he was at the time but was filled in on his accomplishments by my friend Phil Kloppe. Myron did a lot for our hobby and put O Gauge Magazine on the map. Prayers go out to the family and rest in peace Myron it was a good run.

Wow! Just now seeing this. I am sorry to hear of his loss. My condolences to his family

Rest in Peace Myron, and condolences to his family.

Sorry to hear this news.  When my wife Linda and I purchased Hobby Hangout in nearby Easton, Pa in the mid 1970's .  Nazareth was only fiv e miles from away so Myron became a good customer and I got to know him quite well.  We sold O Scale magazine  as it was first known and I was surprised and delighted  when Myron took over this publication.  Some true O scale fans  were not happy to see three rail O added and the name change to O Gauge Railroading.  He was quite a character as many have noted almost always had a smile on his face.  Rest in peace!

A life well lived, much of it here in the Lehigh Valley. Rest in Peace, Myron.