John W. Pollins III's enthusiasm, curiosity and drive to succeed led to multiple accomplishments as a lawyer, a husband and father, a nationally ranked chess player, a musician, a blacksmith, a mechanic and an actor.

Last year, when doctors told him he had only weeks to live, he took on the last role of his life -- that of a determined fighter who managed to live almost a year beyond expectations.

Mr. Pollins, 68, of Greensburg, died Aug. 25 of lung cancer.

"He was a strong-willed individual, and although it was difficult, he utilized that time to the fullest," said Susan Pollins, his wife of 46 years. "I don't even have words for it at this time."

Her husband's last year, she said, was "wondrous" as he said goodbye to loved ones and reunited with friends he hadn't seen in years.

The many people who came to the funeral home were a testament to the many sides of a man who lived a full life in his hometown. They were professionals from the courthouse, ordinary people he represented, chess buddies, fellow artists and good friends from The Dead Poets Society at Seton Hill University.

His daughter, Suzanne MacLennan, of Greensburg, said she was deeply touched when one of her father's clients related that at their first meeting, he knew that Mr. Pollins was a man he could trust.

"He appreciated all my father did for him," she said.

Mr. Pollins was a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he met his future wife. He chose a career in law, he often said, to carry on the family tradition of his father, John W. Jr., and his uncle, Calvin Pollins, who were practicing attorneys.

Mr. Pollins focused on civil litigation, was a member of several professional associations, and authored a number of briefs that went up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

But practicing law was not his whole life. His many passions included art, which he shared with his wife, a noted watercolorist. He was on the board at Touchstone Center for Crafts, near Farmington, in Fayette County, where he co-designed the Hart Moore Blacksmith Studio, and he was an acclaimed blacksmith.

His work appeared in numerous juried exhibitions and is in private collections, including on a gate at the Globe Theater, in London.

Mr. Pollins loved Shakespeare and had appeared in several of the bard's plays. He also had an interest in local theater and opera, Elvis, classical music, poetry, working on cars, and piano and guitar playing.

"He was a man you could chat with over coffee," said Dr. Ken Jones, of Hempfield, a retired dean of fine arts at Seton Hill.

When Dr. Jones directed Mr. Pollins in "Inherit the Wind" at Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont, he said that in his role as defense attorney Drummond, Mr. Pollins had a certain onstage presence.

"He delivered the lines with a kind of truth and energy that was fitting for the character," Dr. Jones said.

Others commented on his ability to always be himself, in and out of his profession.

"He was truly a genuine person," said the Rev. Martin Ankrum, of First Presbyterian Church in Greensburg, where Mr. Pollins was a deacon. "When you talk to him, you knew he was fully present with you."

Mrs. MacLennan said one reason her family moved back to Greensburg was to be closer to him.

"He was so active in our lives," she said. "We were a very close family, and he came to the school events for the kids and everything. He was a very intelligent man, curious about anything, and expected and inspired you to be the same way."

When her father became ill, Mrs. MacLennan said, he was humbled that so many people visited him.

In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Pollins is survived by a son, John W. IV; another daughter, Christina Shackelford; a sister, Elizabeth O'Leary; and four grandchildren.