Walter Harr

Walter “Wally” Harr, aged 95, passed away at home in Durham, NC on 2 October 2025 after a short illness. He felt blessed with all his fortunes and in not letting life's turns take him down.

Born in Cleveland Ohio on 30 September 1930, his youth was full of hope for a stellar future. He was a multi-instrument player in band and orchestra and graduated Summa Cum Laude from a 3 year high school of 5,000 boys. While offered scholarships to attend college, he instead joined his beloved Cleveland Indians the week after graduation. He spent several years traveling the country playing ball and working odd jobs in the off season. During one of those winters, he met the love of his life Betty Ann Kosak, his wife of 65 years. Called Junior by his family, he never properly had that title in his name.

A few years into his baseball days, the Korean War would take him out of baseball and into combat. He was a forward artillery spotter who was overrun by advancing Chinese troops; earning a bronze star for his valor. After the cease fire, he captained a US Army baseball team that would play exhibitions against newly formed Korean and Japanese teams. He returned from Korea with a “frozen” shoulder making a return to play difficult.

With a son on the way and no fix for the shoulder, he hung up his cleats to become a draftsman like his brothers. His wizardry with a slide rule moved him into the engineering department. Within a year of this, in 1956 mind you, the company bought a new IBM 705 computer. Without any manuals, the president figured Wally would figure out how to make the investment worthwhile. So began Wally’s long career in computers. This all happened the same year he recovered from a near life-ending injury to his leg while visiting the factory floor.

After 15 plus years advancing and moving the family around the country, Wally changed companies so the family could return to the Cleveland area. In 1974, he built and delivered an online parts order system which allowed heavy truck dealers with dial-up terminals to order a part and have it delivered within 24 hours. This is 20 years before the public Internet and Amazon. Years later, his new company White Motor merged to become Volvo White Truck and relocated to Greensboro, NC. Wally retired with them after 20 years of service. He lived his remaining years in North Carolina, 30 years in Summerfield and the last 13 in Durham.

Wally enjoyed family life. Always working on the house and yard, helping four kids grow, visiting a large, extended family, golfing, bowling and making road trips with Betty Ann to new places. And, of course, being the coach for his boys' little league baseball teams.

He is preceded in death by his dear wife Betty Ann, his parents Walter Leroy Harr and Agnes Suhovic, his brother Pat, and his son-in-law Joseph Carroll. He is survived by his children: Mark (Liz), Jamie (Dell), Randy (Roshan) and Beth Carroll; six grandkids (Mike, Elyse, Scott, Christina, David and Elizabeth); three great grandchildren (Steven, Alex and Amy); as well as his brother Richard, sister-in-law Dolly, brother in-law Dan Kosak and many nieces and nephews.

Rites of Christian Burial will be held at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Durham, NC on Friday, 24th October. Visitation will be held in the Chapel at 10:30 AM, Mass in the Sanctuary at 11:30 AM, and a Reception will be in the Gathering Space at 12:30 PM. Inurnment will be held at St Paul The Apostle Catholic Church, Greensboro, NC at a later date.