Henry J. Oppermann

1938 - 2022

Henry James "Hank" Oppermann, of Connellsville, died Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. He was born Nov. 5, 1938, in Connellsville, and was the son of the late Henry and Kathleen Oppermann. Hank graduated from Connellsville High School in 1956, where he played football, basketball, track and American Legion baseball. He was also active in boy scouts and became an Eagle Scout. He then attended Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia and graduated first in his class. Hank graduated from Penn State University with a degree in industrial engineering. At Penn State, he played varsity football and was named most valuable lineman in the 1960 Liberty Bowl and MVP in the North-South Shrine game and was captain of the 1960 football team. He was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma, president of the Society of Military Engineers, chairman of the University Political Party, member of Parmi Nous and Lion's Paw honor societies, a member of ROTC, and was voted class donor, which was awarded to the individual who contributed most to the graduating class. After serving two years as an officer in the Army at Fort Carson, Colorado Springs, Colo., Hank went to work as a sales representative with United States Steel Corp. in St. Louis, Missouri. While in St. Louis, he served two years as a captain in the Missouri National Guard. He then went on to a career in the hand-made glass industry that spanned 20 years at the L.E. Smith Glass Co. in Mount Pleasant, where he served as president from 1979-86, and Imperial Glass in Bellaire, Ohio. In 1987, Hank joined Parker Hunter as an investment executive in Uniontown. Parker Hunter later merged with Janney Montgomery Scott. After 28 years in the investment business, he retired as a senior vice president at Janney. Hank served on the board of the Westmoreland Fayette Boy Scout Council from 1968-2019. During that time, he received the Silver Beaver Award and was recognized as a Distinguished Eagle Scout. Hank also served on the Penn State Fayette Advisory Board from 1983-2019. He received the Outstanding Fellow Award of Fayette Campus in 1997. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Penn State Fayette Nursing Program. Hank was a member of Immaculate Conception Church. He was an advisor to the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Greensburg and was a recipient of the Salt and Light Award, as well as a recipient of the Papal Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontific. He was inducted into the Connellsville Area School District Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. Hank was an avid sports fan and enjoyed spending time at his condo in State College. He also enjoyed playing golf and traveling. His most memorable trip was to the Holy Land in 2000. He is survived by his wife, Beverly; his daughters, Joanne Ames and Carolyn (Thomas) Butts; grandsons, Joey and Tommy Ames; sisters, Susan (William) Coleman, Kay (Daniel) Reilly and Nancy Oppermann; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased in death by his parents, and son-in- law, Joseph Ames. Family and friends will be received from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the BROOKS FUNERAL HOME INC., 111 E. Green St., Connellsville, where a blessing service will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. in St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church, with the Rev. Daniel Blout as celebrant, Interment will follow in Green Ridge Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to a charity of one's choice in memory of Henry James "Hank" Oppermann. To offer a condolence or remembrance please visit www.brooksfuneralhomes.com.