Obituary of Harry W. Ash Jr.

Harry William Ash, Jr., the family called him Billy, born on May 24, 1927, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania He was one of seven children born to Harry William Ash, Sr. and Anna Mary Ash (Johnson) with brothers Robert G. Ash (Nancy) and Francis J. Ash (Denise) and sisters Elizabeth C. Gross (Robert), Constance B. Klinger (Sonny), Mary Ann Oakley (Robert) and Kathryn T. Durkin (Thomas). Attended Northeast High, and Roxborough High schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania He served in the Army in World War II as a Sergeant in Germany and was assigned as a replacement in the 10th. AIB of the 4th armored division for a short time then was reassigned to the constabulary during the occupation of Germany. This required learning to speak a little German so that we could set up check points and question the Germans. He played basketball on the championship team of "E" troop, 10th Squadron 14th regiment of the constabulary. He used the "GI" bill to attend Spring Garden Institute and received a diploma in Machine Design. He also played basketball for Spring Garden. After graduation in 1950 he went to work for RCA in Camden, NJ. While growing up, Harry worked at various part time jobs in Philadelphia while attending school. He had a paper stand at 10th and Dulphin Streets and a route of a 100 customers. He worked as an apprentice at J. Bird Moyer Co. machine shop, and worked at the following companies, Pincus Meat Packing plant, E. B. Colmer Electrical Contractors as a helper, and at A & H Manufacturing Co. as a packer of auto parts for shipment overseas during World War II. While attending Spring Garden he worked for Weiman's for Diamonds jewelry store as a currier and a salesman. On October 28, 1950 he married Dorine Harriet McClain at the Bethlehem Presbyterian Church at Broad and Diamond Streets in Philadelphia, Pa. Harry served as a ruling elder in the Bethlehem Presbyterian and Holy Trinity Bethlehem Churches. In 1958, Harry and Dorine transferred to the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, then transfer to First Presbyterian Church of Ambler in June of 2002. They purchased a new house, in Plymouth Meeting, PA in 1956 and moved in Aug. 1957. This is where they decided to raise their three children. Harry was the father of three children, Robert W. Ash (Heather) of Tahoe City CA, Richard C. Ash (Kimberly) of Moyock, NC. and Carol A. Pokorny (David) of Havertown, PA, and grandfather of six grandchildren Emily and Adrienne Ash in Tahoe City, CA, Laura Ash in Moyock, NC and James, Charles and Christopher Pokorny in Havertown, PA. He was a biddy basketball and little league baseball coach in Plymouth Township in the sixties. Harry served on the board of Ply-Mar Swim Club for 27 years. He was a member of the Exchange Club of Plymouth – Whitemarsh for over 30 years. After college Harry worked for RCA Victor Co., Vanango Eng. Co., George M. Ewing Arch. & Eng. Co., Gilbert Eng. Co. and Allstates Eng. Co as a designer and supervisor. His work consisted of power plants, oil refineries, chemical plants, department of energy (atomic energy) and quality engineering coordinator on assignment to Dupont's chemical engineering department. A lot of his work required government clearances of various types. This was because of his involvement with working on nuclear power plants, submarines and the Savannah River Plant in Akien, SC that made plutonium for the hydrogen bomb. He retired in February 1993, and enjoyed every minute of retired life. He did a lot of traveling and kept busy working on his daughter's house, spending time with his grandkids, playing golf and tennis. Miscellaneous things about dad Earned money When he was a kid, growing up during the Depression, he earned money by shining shoes, collecting old papers, scrape metal and selling them to the junk yard and shoveling snow. He had a paper stand and delivered 100 papers a day, door to door. Sports that he enjoyed and played Enjoyed playing baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, and a lot of others such as swimming, ping pong, pool and badminton. He played semi-pro baseball for the North Philadelphia Aces. String band He played the drums in the Uptown String Band for three New Years' Day parades in 1943,1944,&1945. The themes were: One Dozen Roses, Alice Blue Gown, and "V" for Victory.