Harry J. Termin

Harry J. Termin was born August 13th , 1929 in Beccarria, Pennsylvania. He died November 15th, 2019 in Renton, Washington.

Harry grew up on a farm with five brothers and six sisters.  He learned to fly as a teenager in an old Piper Cub, operating out of farm fields and dealing with the vagaries of Pennsylvania weather. As they say around there, every time you go over a ridge the weather changes. This stood him in good stead later in life when he was flying Beavers and Queen Airs in Vietnam, where the hilltops were often hidden in clouds and on clear day, you could see wrecked aircraft on the ridgelines.

After graduation from High School, Harry enlisted in the Army and served in Japan, Korea, Turkey, France, Iran, and Vietnam, as well as stateside. He was in Korea at the beginning of the Korean Conflict and in Vietnam at the start of America’s involvement in Vietnam. He was a veteran of the Cold War, too. He married Iris Maxine Conley and they had eight children: five boys and three girls. Some of the children were born in interesting places like Turkey, Iran, and France!

After he left the service, he worked for Raytheon in New England and TRW in California as an engineer for about ten years, and then joined a firm of sales engineers in Baltimore that represented manufacturers of processing and testing instrumentation. This was at the beginning of computer-aided, computer-controlled design, manufacturing, and testing, and their customers were big tech firms. After that he started his own company of sales engineers covering Upstate New York. He had his own airplane, a Piper Cherokee, which he used for business and recreation.

Along the way, he and Iris were divorced, and each remarried. Harry married Judith Bonney Termin, and they had one daughter. He retired in 1994 and lived in Alaska for over a decade, following a childhood dream to live in the Arctic. After spending some additional time traveling between Upstate New York and Yuma, Arizona, Harry and Judith settled down near Seattle, Washington in 2010.

In retirement Harry had time to be a VA volunteer, Post Commander of the local American Legion, and board member for the local Volunteer Fire Department and the local Electric Co-op. He loved hunting and fishing wherever he lived, stateside or overseas. But most of all, he loved spending time with his family.

Harry was predeceased by his children Susie, Cindy, and Jim. He is survived by his wife Judy; his children John, Jeff, Sharon, Joe, Jason, and Alabama; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Interment will be at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA, on December 2nd, followed by a reception at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Renton, WA.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to American Legion Post 904, 9 Rock Street, Alexandria Bay, NY 13607.