Harry M. Fox, 81, of 111 Elm Drive, Kittanning died Wednesday, March 15, 2006 at Sugar Creek Rest, Worthington RD2. He was born April 29, 1924, in New Castle to Mr. and Mrs. Homer Fox. Mr. Fox attended grade and high schools at Rural Valley, graduating in 1941 and attended George Washington University, Washington, D.C. From 1941 to 1943, he was employed as bookkeeper/teller at Armstrong County Trust Company. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the Navy aboard the USS Piedmont (AD-17) and USS Missoula (APA-211), Pacific Theater of War; participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, plus the Occupation of Japan. He was discharged as a Yeoman First Class. From 1946 to 1949, he was employed in secretarial/accounting work in the gas department at the former Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Ford City. From 1949 to 1952, he served as district secretary to then newly elected Congressman John P. Saylor for Armstrong, Indiana and Cambria counties. From 1952 to 1973, he served as administrative assistant to Congressman Saylor in Washington, D.C., where he supervised a staff of 10. The enlarged district then included Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, Somerset, Jefferson and part of Clarion counties. He was appointed by the Speaker of the House as administrator of the 12th District upon Congressman Saylor's death in 1973; he resigned that post after being selected as the Republican nominee for Congress. He was defeated by 122 votes out of 122,000 votes cast at the Special Election held on Feb. 5, 1974, the year of Watergate. Elected in the 1975 primary election as Republican candidate for commissioner of Armstrong County, he served three four-year terms, eight as chairman of the board and four as minority commissioner, retiring Dec. 31, 1987. His memberships were the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars; plus other civic and fraternal organizations. Survivors include his wife, Marion Hill Fox, whom he married in 1979; two daughters, Suzanne Prazenica of Ford City and Patricia McCorkle of Leechburg; three stepchildren, William Hill of Santa Ana, Calif., Arnold Hill of La Grande, Ore. and Diane Lattanzio of Kittanning; five grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; step-great-grandchildren; two half-brothers, Fred Fox and Donald Fox, both of Kittanning; and two half-sisters, Orpha Morda and Martha Hahner, both of Ford City. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Pauline (Baculik) Fox, whom he married in 1957 and who died in 1973; two sisters, Winifred Schrecengost and Shirley Helm; and one half-sister, Florence Fox. Friends will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Mantini Funeral Home, Inc., 701 Sixth Ave., Ford City, where a Vigil for the Deceased will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday. A Prayer for the Transfer of the Body will be held at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home with a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Saturday at Christ, Prince of Peace Parish, Ford City with the Rev. Edward Lewis officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Yatesboro.

From: The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Online, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday March 16, 2006

Married: Pauline Josephine Baculik, October 12, 1957 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania

Married: Marion Louise Burdy Hill, November 9, 1979 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania