Nicholas Robert "Nick" Bubash

Nick Bubash

At too young of an age and after a brief illness, Nicholas Robert Bubash passed peacefully on November 17, 2021, surrounded by his family and friends.  Nick is survived by his beautiful, talented, and loving daughters, Isabella and Georgia Bubash, whom he carried in his heart; his beloved sisters, Mary Kruse (Gary Kruse), Stefany (Tep) Giner (Stan Giner) and Alice Slapikas (Tony Slapikas) as well as his nieces and nephew, Allison Kruse, Nick and Laura Slapikas and many other cousins, nieces and nephews. Nick is also survived by his longtime companion Vicke Adamson, and his wife, the Honorable Cathleen Cawood Bubash, with whom he remained a friend and partner in parenting.  Predeceasing Nick were his parents George and Amelia (Millie) Bubash and his first wife, Helen Lynch, with whom he had remained friends. Born September 7, 1949, in Pittsburgh, Nick grew up in State College, PA.  He lived and worked in Pittsburgh as a pioneering tattoo artist, fine artist, and sculptor.  Nick attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia in the 80’s, graduating with the highest honors and multiple awards, including the Scheidt Traveling Grant, which allowed him to study abroad. He chose India as his destiny, being most interested, very specifically, in 9th - 12th century Indian sculpture. He was a talented and widely collected fine artist who, amongst other accolades, was collected by the Library of Congress, and the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh.  Nick enjoyed a solo museum exhibition of his work entitled The Patron Saint of White Guys that Went Tribal and Other Works at the Warhol Museum. In 2016, Nick received the prestigious NYC 2016 Acker award for Tattoo Art. Nick was also legend in the world of tattooing, having his start in the Lower East Side of NYC. He authored his proudest work, a tribute to his mentor, teacher and friend, Thom DeVita entitled Thom DeVita: DeVita Unauthorized, followed by his narration of Thom deVita ‘Tattoo Age’ on the Vice Channel. Nick’s artist statement says it all.  “My father is Croatian, probably Turkish, my mother is Sicilian, a descendant of Sephardics, my family is Irish, my brother is Italian and Spanish, and my sisters married a Pole, a German, and a Hungarian (one each.) My neighbors are African and Icelandic, my dog is a Maltese, my cats are from Siam, and I am reincarnated from India. My food is Algerian with bread from France, nuts from Brazil, tea from China and coffee from Kenya, my watch and cheese are Swiss, and my caviar is Russian. My car is Japanese, my shoes Bolivian, my shirt Pakistani, my carpets are Persian, my dishes and radio are from Mexico. My silverware and language are English. The children's toys are from Taiwan, my didgeridoo is Aboriginal. I am extremist by nature, my religion is fundamentalist by choice and my rabbi is Baptist. I wear the skin of a Maori and my art is at least, in part, if not completely, a result of the criss cross of the above."  Nick Bubash. Nick’s life will be celebrated on November 27, 2021, from 1pm - 5pm, at John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. 4900 Centre Avenue at Devonshire Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (freyvogelfuneralhome.com). A gathering to remember Nick will be immediately afterwards from 5:30 pm - 8 pm at G’s on Liberty, 5104 Liberty Avenue, Pgh., PA 15224.  All are welcome.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Arts Ed Collaborative.

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