Joseph R. Harris, beloved husband of Mary Lou (nee Louthan) died Sunday, October 21st. He was the loving father of Thomas (Mary) and Jeffrey (Phyllis) and is predeceased by son Scott (Valerie). Joseph was the grandfather of Aimée (Sean Brandt), Thomas, and Rachael. He was the great-grandfather of Jonathan and Madeleine. Joseph and Mary Lou (of Troy, Ohio) were married in 1942 in Ohio. December 2012 would have marked their 70th wedding anniversary.
Born September 27, 1918 in Bridgeport, CT, he was a son of the American Revolution. Joseph acquired a love of aircraft after flying with a barnstormer in a bi-plane when he was eight years old. During WWII he designed aerial gliders at Waco Aircraft in Troy, Ohio that supported the Allied invasion on D-Day. After the war he was passionate about education. He earned engineering and business degrees at the University of Michigan and an MBA at Penn State University. A lifelong hockey fan, Joseph designed a magnesium hockey stick tested by Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Harris family moved from Michigan to Pennsylvania in 1966. Joseph was an aerospace engineer at the General Electric Space Systems Division in King of Prussia until his retirement. He was an active member of his church. Friends and family are invited to a memorial service at St. Matthews Methodist Church, Wayne, PA at 11:00 am Saturday, October 27th. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the American Alzheimer’s Association (www.alzfdn.org) are appreciated.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18