Harry Doty

Harry Oliver Doty, Jr.

March 18, 1923 - October 18, 2014

Cary

Harry Oliver Doty, Jr. passed away suddenly on the evening of October 18th, 2014 at Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary, NC. He was born on March 18, 1923 in Chicago, Il. He was the eldest of two sons of Clara Susan Marts and Harry Oliver Doty. He attended Chicago Public Schools where he was a good student and athlete (speed skating, hockey, baseball). He and his brother spent many summers on his uncle's farm in Ohio where he worked hard and developed a love of agriculture and nature.

After graduation from high school, he attended the University of Illinois and was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. With the impending war in Europe, he enrolled in ROTC and enlisted out of school into the Army in June of 1943. He received basic training in the (horse) Cavalry. He attended Tank Corps Officer Candidate School and graduated a 2nd Lieutenant. He was immediately detailed to the Infantry and assigned to the 89th Infantry Division of Patton's Third Army where he commanded an infantry platoon in the 355th Infantry Regimen. His Division landed in France and engaged combat on the front line through Germany, crossing the Rhine, and capturing the first Nazi concentration camp, Ohrdruf (Buchenwald outpost). After the war ended, he was continued in the Cavalry during the occupation in Germany and Austria for another year and a half. The war affected him deeply and in 2011, he was blessed to be able to participate in a NC Flight of Honor to the WWII Memorial in Washington, D. C.

Upon his discharge, he returned to the University of Illinois and completed a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture and a Master's degree in Economics in 1949. He took a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., as an agricultural economist. He retired after 36 years of service.

After moving to Arlington, he met and married Joyce Elizabeth Smith, and had two daughters. Sadly, Joyce died in 1966 and he was a single parent for 3 and a half years before marrying Eunice White Morde, a widow, with 3 grown children. He was a good husband and father and enjoyed family life with his and Eunice's combined families. He was an active member of Trinity Presbyterian Church and held many leadership positions including Deacon and Elder. He enjoyed trips to state and county fairs, parks, and the NC coast, expecially Emerald Isle, where he and Eunice owned a home for many years. He enjoyed gardening and knew much about the natural world- flora, fauna, rocks and minerals, often identifying them and sharing interesting facts.

In 1994, Harry and Eunice moved to Glenaire Retirement Community where he served on the Finance Committee, and was involved in landscaping-planting many of the daylily gardens on the property. He joined Cary Presbyterian Church. During their time at Glenaire, he and Eunice progressed from independent to higher levels of care, with Eunice passing away in 2010. Throughout the years there, they both received excellent and loving care from the Glenaire staff which the family greatly appreciates.

Harry was a gentle, loving, and generally happy soul, who was a lesson in aging gracefully. He was loved and will be deeply missed by many including his daughters, Elissa and husband, Matthew Hellgeth (Raleigh, NC), and Joy and husband Marc Pechan (Crozier, VA); step-children, David Morde and wife, Diana (Cary, NC), Carol and husband Coleman Ross (Chapel Hill, NC), and Richard Morde and wife, Jeanne (Lancaster, VA), 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service in celebration of Harry's life will be held on November 1, 2014 at 10:00am at Glenaire Retirement Community Auditorium, 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary, NC. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetary at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of donations in his memory to The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org)