Harry W. Chambers

Harry W. Chambers, a resident of Piney Point Village, Texas, for the past 47 years and a retiree of Shell Oil Company, died Tuesday, the 24th of January 2017, at the age of 86. He died peacefully and was surrounded by family with his favorite Andrea Bocelli song, “Time To Say Goodbye” playing in the back ground. He was born on the 20th of August 1930, in the City of New York to Harry H. and Florence D. Chambers. He was raised in the town of Somers, New York and attended grade school at the Rippowam School, Bedford, N.Y., high school at The Somers School, Somers, N.Y. and prep school at Dwight Preparatory in New York City.

He attended college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University where he earned B.S. and M.B.A. degrees. At M.I.T. he was a member of the Lenox Club fraternity. In 1953 he joined Shell Oil Company in New York City as an accountant. In the mid 1950's he took a leave of absence to serve on active duty as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force .

Harry retired from Shell in 1992 after 39 years of accounting/financial service, where he worked in a number of its organizations including Marketing, Computer Services, Research and Development, Patents & Licensing and Legal. He was also active with Sea Ranch Associates, Inc., and served as a Director and Chairman of the Board for many years. He was a member of St. Cecilia Catholic Church since 1970 and coached little league baseball and football in the community for a number of years. He enjoyed activities with the neighborhood Tynewood Garden and Social Club and the Tynewood Men’s Breakfast Group. His vegetable garden was famous in the neighborhood, especially during tomato harvest time. He was known to drop off gifts of items from his garden to his friends and neighbors.

In 1979, his wife and he built a beach house at Terramar Beach, Galveston Island, where they spent many happy weeks and weekend with family and friends enjoying the sea, sand, fishing and crabbing.

He married Marguerite “Peggy” Helen McGue, of Fairfax, Vermont, in 1957, who preceded him in death.

He is survived by his three children Harry C. Chambers, Kathleen Mattina, and John Chambers all of Houston. Grandchildren: Harry R. Chambers, George Chambers, Robert Chambers, Kathleen Mattina, Melinda Mattina, Andrew Chambers, Thomas Chambers and James Chambers. Brother: Edward Chambers (wife Barbara) and sister: Dolores Smith (husband Len). Daughters-in-law, Laura Chambers and Michelle Chambers, and son-in-law Michael Mattina.

The family extends a special thank you to his devoted caregivers Nakia and Louise and his nurse Rhonda.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from half-past five o’clock in the afternoon until half-past seven o’clock in the evening on Sunday, the 29th of January, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where the Vigil for Harry is to commence at half past six o’clock in the Jasek Chapel.

The funeral mass is to be offered at half-past ten o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 30th of January, at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Drive in Houston, where the Father Francis Macantagay, is to serve as celebrant. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held at a venue to be announced during the service.

The Rite of Committal is to be conducted at half past two o’clock in the afternoon, via an escorted cortege, at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery in Houston.