On August 23, 2026, Harry Joseph “Punky” Spahn, Jr. passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. He was the beloved husband of Susan Spahn (née Rudiger); devoted father of Teresa Lowery and her husband, Howard, and Katherine Kelly and her husband, Bryan; loving grandfather of Meghyn Smith and her husband, Jordan, Cameron Birchen, Georgia Salter and her husband, James, and Benjamin Kelly; cherished great-grandfather of Callum; and dear brother of Carolee Rooney and Margaret “Peggy” Mullen. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.
Harry was a veteran of the United States Army and later served as a Warrant Officer and Bandmaster for the Maryland Army National Guard. A proud alumnus of Calvert Hall, he attended on a full music scholarship, beginning a lifelong relationship with music that remained one of the great joys of his life.
A trained musician and gifted trombone player, Harry was a member of the Shades of Blue Orchestra for more than 20 years. Music was simply part of the rhythm of the Spahn home. There was almost always big band or classical music playing in the house.
Harry possessed an extraordinary curiosity about the world and a remarkable range of interests. He loved building models, painting, reading, and studying history. He had a particular fascination with historical figures and places, ships and airplanes, and the stories behind them. His love of history also led him to Civil War reenacting, where he could bring the past he knew so well to life.
He collected American Flyer trains and spent countless hours building and tending his train garden. His model ships, airplanes, trains, and other creations reflected something essential about Harry: he did not merely want to know that something existed—he wanted to understand how it worked, where it came from, and the story it had to tell.
Harry and Susan shared a love of travel and explored destinations throughout the United States and Europe, with Ireland and Africa holding especially treasured places in their hearts. Wherever he went, Harry brought with him the same curiosity and sense of wonder that characterized so much of his life.
At the center of Harry’s life was his marriage to Susan, his beloved wife and companion of 59 years. Theirs was a life built together—through family, music, travel, laughter, and all the ordinary days that, over nearly six decades, become a life. Harry loved Susan deeply, and she loved him with the same enduring devotion. In his final months, that devotion could be seen in the tenderness and constancy with which she cared for him. Their family will always be grateful for the beautiful example of love and marriage they gave to all who knew them.
Yet for all the things that interested him, nothing mattered more to Harry than his family. His greatest joy was being a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was a loving and kind father, a gentle teacher, and a role model whose example often spoke more loudly than words. He shared what he loved with those around him—music, history, nature, travel, craftsmanship, and an abiding curiosity about the world—and in doing so, taught generations of his family to look a little more closely, listen a little more carefully, and never lose their sense of wonder.
Relatives and friends are invited to visit at Schimunek Funeral Home, Inc., 9705 Belair Road, Nottingham, MD 21236, on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 1:00–3:00 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m., followed by a time of sharing memories at 7:00 p.m.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church (Fullerton). Interment will follow at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Harry’s name to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org) or Soaring Eagle (soaringeagle.org).
