Harrison Thomas Pannella

Harrison "Harry" Pannella, 64, of Washington, DC, quietly passed away early Saturday morning, January 3, 2015, with his wife Shelly holding his hand. Harrison admirably and courageously waged a 3 month battle against the rare and incurable Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), with Shelly fighting with him and for him all the way.

Born January 15, 1950, in Phoenixville, PA, to the late Harry and Nancy Pannella, Harrison graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Technical Communications from George Washington University. He was a brilliant chemist, writer, and editor, and had recently retired from the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council. As a Study Director for the Board on Army Science and Technology, Harrison directed committees of experts in producing numerous studies on chemical weapons disposal. During his career, he oversaw the publication of many reports, received several awards, and was highly respected by his colleagues and peers.

Harrison married Shelly Ritornato on August 6, 1994. They moved to the Glover Park neighborhood in 1999, and are long-time members of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church. Harrison is survived by his sisters Rose and Marie, brothers John, Anthony, and Joseph, and niece Dominika, and on Shelly’s side nieces Kathryn, Katie, and Kerry, and nephews Christopher, Timothy, Casey, and Nicholas. He is also survived by many loving cousins, aunts, and uncles on both his and Shelly’s sides of the family, as well as by his father-in-law Anthony, brothers-in-law Todd and Bob, and sisters-in-law Marcy, Toni, and Corrie. His kind heart, unique sense of humor, and extreme intelligence will be remembered by all.

Harrison loved music, poetry, and art. He was an avid gardener, and enjoyed growing and cooking with the fresh basil, oregano, tomatoes, and peppers from his garden. He and Shelly travelled frequently, and recently enjoyed a vacation in Scotland. Harrison’s many friends will miss hearing his perspective on various subjects of interest and intrigue from the arts to the physical sciences. He was the rarest of people, a one in a million guy.

Relatives and friends are invited to call at Joseph Gawler’s Sons, LLC., 5130 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. (corner of Harrison Street) Washington, DC 20016 (Valet Parking) on Thursday, January 15, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, January 17, at 11:30 am at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, 4835 MacArthur Boulevard NW, Washington, DC 20007. A memorial Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, January 10, at 10:00 am at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, 212 Dayton Street, Phoenixville, PA 19460. There will also be a Memorial Mass on Saturday, January 24, at 11:30 a.m. at St. Anthony's Catholic Church, 901 Northeast 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, after which Harrison will be inurned at Evergreen Cemetery in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation online at www.cjdfoundation.org OR to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease clinical research program at the University of California San Francisco by check made payable to the UCSF Foundation. Include MAC-CJD Fund B1760 in the memo line. To make the gift in memory of Harrison, include his name on your check or in a separate note. Mail checks to: UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339.

Shelly would like to thank the staff at George Washington University Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Community Hospice for their patience, support, and expertise, and especially thank all her friends and family who have been with her during this very difficult time.