As a youth, Raymond J. Conlon thought he would “leave Butler in the rearview mirror” after he graduated from high school in 1980. But he's sure glad he didn't.

Now at the helm of a successful law firm in the city and a part-owner of the Butler BlueSox, Conlon is trying to give back to the community that made him who he is. “I have no intention of going anywhere else,” he said.

Born and raised in Butler, Conlon, 48, graduated from Butler High School, where he played tackle on the football team in 1980.

He graduated from Duquesne University in 1984 with a degree in journalism, even though he knew he'd be pursuing a career in law.

“I think I was taking a practical approach (in case law didn't pan out). The last time I checked, there were no careers in pre-law,” Conlon said.

“Also, the inquisitive nature required by journalism serves the practice of law very well.”

Conlon went on to the Dickinson School of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1987. After passing the bar exam on July 31 of that year, he started work representing insurance companies in claims just 10 days later.

“I started with a firm in Pittsburgh, one of the top 10 largest in the city at the time,” Conlon said.

Being thrown right into the fire didn't phase him, though. “You don't get into this business if you don't want to win. It doesn't matter what side you're on,” Conlon said.

“You prepare every case as if it's your first case, with that meticulous attention to detail.”

By April 1988, Conlon had moved to another Pittsburgh firm, where he stayed until his father was diagnosed with cancer in 1991, at that point he was determined to return to Butler.

“I was going to leave (the firm), but they were very accommodating.”

He was allowed to open a branch office in Butler, and he placed it in the same building as a childhood friend, Dr. Paul Tomasovic.

“He literally let me put a law office in the back of his dentist's office.”

One bonus of the move was working in the Butler County Courthouse's grandiose Courtroom One, picturesque with its ornate woodwork and vaulted ceilings. “When you're sitting in a room like that, you can't help but reflect upon the history that has taken place there, the justice that has taken place there,” Conlon said.

About six years ago, he made the switch from defending insurance companies to representing plaintiffs.

“You get tremendous training in learning how to deal with these kinds of cases (with insurance companies),” Conlon said.

“But it slowly eroded at me. I always knew I belonged on the other side of the table. My personality is much more inclined toward helping people, rather than destroying them, which is what you do in those accident cases.”

Conlon had offices in the former Troutman mansion and the Morgan Center building before buying his building at 108 E. Diamond St. about four years ago. That was the same time he and partner Jeffrey S. Tarker started Conlon Tarker, P.C.

“It really started out as a mentor relationship and grew into a partnership,” Conlon said of his partner, who is 10 years younger.

The pair worked together for nearly 10 years before partnering, and Conlon said he knew Tarker's unique qualities would complement his own.

“His skill set was such that I knew if I was going to work with someone in the future, they would have those skills,” Conlon said.

Having no boss hasn't made Conlon slack, though. Indeed, he said he jokes with the staff that the office is like a convenience store: It's never closed.

Putting in 12-hour days most of the time, Conlon said that his work ethic is derived from his mother, a Butler florist, and father, who worked with magnetics. “If you assume everybody has the same opportunities, the only way to get ahead is to work harder than they do. I got that from my parents,” he said.

Then, there is the motivation to stay self-employed: his family.

“I don't miss a kid's event. I don't miss a tennis match or a play,” Conlon said.

“That's very important to me.”

Conlon lives in Renfrew with his wife Nance and four daughters: twins, Katie and Abby, 17, Molly, 12, and Libby, 9.

His eldest daughters play tennis, while the younger two share a passion for theater and dance.

“With four daughters, it's never-ending. I probably have a more complicated calendar at home than I do here,” Conlon said.

When he's not at the office or a function featuring one of his daughters, Conlon said he loves hunting, which he has done since the age of 12.

“The older I get, the less important it is to get anything. It's more about just being out there,” he said.

Of course, he also spends some time at Pullman Park on the city's West End, where he is a part-owner in the Butler BlueSox, which is a Prospect League team.

“I got into the BlueSox because I thought it was a way to keep something in the community that would be good for everybody,” Conlon said.

“You either embrace your heritage or you leave it behind.”

Conlon is part of a five-person group that bought interest in the team in 2010, and 2011 will be the team's first full season under new ownership.

He said with the help of Matt Clement, a former Major League Baseball pitcher and the Butler High School boys' basketball coach, recruiting players from the Prospect League's NCAA talent pool, he expects the level of play to be even better.

“The stadium is a beautiful stadium. We want to see it filled to capacity for all the home games,” he said.

A winning team helps forge a positive attitude in the community and something to rally around and be proud of, Conlon said.

He takes a hands on role, working to market and promote the team as well as sell tickets.

“Not only is there no owners' box, I don't anticipate sitting down during games,” he said.

Conlon also will be chairman of the YMCA board of directors starting this spring.

He has served on the YMCA board of directors and board of managers, as well as the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Butler County advisory council.

He volunteered as a Big Brother before his children were born.

“I know the impact my father had on me, and that was motivation,” Conlon said.

Since the birth of his daughters, he has coached both youth basketball and soccer. “As my kids' skills surpassed my knowledge of the game, I've stepped aside for others,” Conlon joked.

But he doesn't anticipate retiring any time soon.

“The one thing about this job is there's no heavy lifting. So, as long as I have my wits about me, I can't imagine not coming to work,” Conlon said.

<B>Age: </B>48<B>Address: </B>Renfrew<B>Family: </B>Wife, Nance, and four daughters: twins Katie and Abby, 17, Molly, 12, and Libby, 9<B>Employment:</B> Owner/partner, Conlon-Tarker, P.C.; co-owner, Butler Blue Sox<B>Education:</B> Butler High School graduate, 1980; B.A. in journalism from Duquesne University, 1984; Juris Doctor from Dickinson School of Law, 1987<B>Interests: </B>Hunting, volunteer work, involvement in daughters’ activities<B>Quote: </B>“You prepare every case as if it’s you’re first case, with that meticulous attention to detail.”