How do you sum up the life of one of your most important heroes, mentors, and supporters in one page or less? I had the challenging privilege of doing just that when I was asked to write the obituary for my dad who died yesterday. Heres my best shot. Dale Emerson Harro Born 1930 in the village of Lucknow near Harrisburg, PA, Dale E. Harro was the last of 11 children born to John Myers Harro and Mary Shoop. He learned to value hard work, good fun, and the joy of a strong family while growing up in the Great Depression. From a young age, he worked in the family coal delivery business and gas station while finding time to play in and along the Susquehanna River with his brothers and sisters. After graduating from Susquehanna High School in 1947, Dale went on to graduate from Wheaton College (IL) where he met Dorothy Vosgian, his treasured wife of 61 years. He completed his medical training at Temple University Medical School with additional preparation for his life of service at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and The Johns Hopkins University. A single-minded dedication to serving the practical and physical needs of the weak, ignored, and disadvantaged marked the ensuing 40 years of his medical career, where he served the very young, the very poor, the mentally handicapped, and the elderly. Medicine was Dale’s training. Ministry was his calling. He fulfilled that calling through volunteer service as well as his career. Dale was a founding member of Bethlehem Community Church in Delmar, NY and a board member of Deerfoot Lodge, a Christian wilderness camp for boys in the Adirondacks where he served for more than 30 years. Along the way, Dale and Dorothy had five sons who in turn married and provided 17 grandchildren to whom Dale was affectionately known as Poppop. He was never more alive than when he could orchestrate a gathering of that frequently rambunctious crowd, especially when the get-together happened in the Adirondacks or on the seashore. Dale’s wife, Dorothy; his brothers George (Gerry) and Tom (Barb); his sons Bruce (Kathy), Dwight (Laurie), Stewart (Cheryl), Clayton (Elizabeth), and Ted (Gretchen); and his surviving 15 grandchildren encourage you to thank God for the gift we all received in Dale’s life. To God be the glory. The Harro family invites you to celebrate a life well lived. Services will be held at Willow Valley (Lakes Campus) in Willow Street, PA at 1PM on Friday, September 19 and at Bethlehem Community Church in Delmar, NY at 11AM on Saturday, September 27. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make donations in Dale’s memory to either the Capital City Rescue Mission (capitalcityrescuemission) or Deerfoot Lodge (deerfoot.org).
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 12:36:27 +0000
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