Mel Pitzen spent 33 years at the Times-Republican from 1966 to 1999 in a variety of roles from reporter to sports editor to city and farm editor. The 92-year-old Korean War veteran, who now resides at Glenwood Place, returned to his old stomping grounds surrounded by family members and even his old boss, longtime T-R Publisher Mike Schlesinger, on Tuesday afternoon through the facility’s “Dare to Dream” program.

Pitzen fondly recalls his early days covering a Marshalltown High School state basketball championship, and Schlesinger remembered that he was “always on top of things” throughout his tenure.

“He always knew what was going on in the community,” Schlesinger said.

With substantially fewer employees now working out of the office now than back then, Pitzen remarked that he barely recognized the place, but he still got a chance to walk through the main floor, front office and upstairs level where his sports desk once sat.

Glenwood Place Life Engagement Coordinator Melinda Beard said she recently conducted a check-in interview with Pitzen, and he went “on and on” about his time at the T-R.

“I thought, you know, as much as he talks about it, it’s got to be something really, really super special, and so I thought (that) the perfect day for him to come back to where he loved the most. And of course, to add his family because he just loves his family so much, so I just wanted them all to share in this day,” she said.

And with all four of Mel and his wife Shirley’s children — Melanie Knoll, Tenie Reyerson, Jen Weitzell and Phil Pitzen — and their spouses still living in Marshall County, it was easy to get them together for the occasion. They capped off the night with a meal at another Marshalltown institution, Zeno’s Pizza.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.