Harry Raymond Papier

Harry was the son of Harry Anthony and Agnes (Bobby) Papier.

Harry was a member of the North Side High School class of 1946.

He joined the United States Marine Corps upon graduation. He served at Parris Island, Camp Lejeune, and Cherry Point Air Base where he was an aircraft mechanic on the iconic Corsair fighter plane.

He attended Purdue University where he studied aeronautical engineering.

He married his one true love, Barbara Ann Hayden on November 17, 1956. They lived blissfully until her passing in 2005. Their union produced two sons, Paul and Bruce. Both reside in Fort Wayne.

Harry was a leader and frequent key note speaker in the field of book and magazine distribution. He, along with his partner, owned and operated distributorships in Fort Wayne, Marion, and Muncie, Indiana as well as Zanesville, Ohio and Readers World bookstores. Among his many accomplishments were President of the Independent Distributors of the Great Lakes from 1967-1968. He was the President of MAPDA, the marketing organization for his industry, from 1978-1979. He served on the Board of Directors for the Fort Wayne Better Business Bureau 1982-1998 and was its Chairman 1986-1989.

Harry was also a man of great faith. He attended Faith Baptist Church and was a Sunday school teacher for fifty-three years at Bethany Presbyterian Church and Faith Baptist Church. He was Faith Baptist Church’s Ironman in 1999 having shown is prowess in shirt ironing during an annual competition.

Left behind to treasure his memory are his brother and sister in law Maury and Carolyn Papier, their children Eric (Maureen) Papier, John (Sheryl) Papier, Molly Papier, and Andrew Papier as well as their children in addition to his cousin Edward (Diane) Collins. He also has a number of relatives on the West Coast.

His family wishes to thank Parkview Hospice Care, TRAA, and Fort Wayne Fire Department for their aid and comfort.

A visitation will be on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at D.O. McComb and Sons Funeral Home- Maplewood Park, 4017 Maplecrest Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46815, from 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM. A funeral service will be on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 1:00 PM, at Faith Baptist Church, 6600 Trier Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46815, with visitation one hour prior.

Memorial donations may be made to Faith Baptist Church.