Harry R. Sampey
0000366181-01-1.jpg Harry R. (Sonny) Sampey of Farmington and Uniontown passed away peacefully Monday afternoon, November 23, 2009 in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pa. He was born May 10, 1930 near Connellsville, Penns-ylvania the son of the late Raymond Sampey and Clara Wingrove.
He was preceded in death by sons-in-law: Dwight “Ike” Singo and Lester Auer and a granddaughter, Alisha Sampey.
His high school education was received from the Perry High School District. In 1947, he joined the Air Force and was discharged in 1953 with six years of active military service. During this period he received an education in electronic communications.
After the military service, he invented the Television Translator that was used throughout the northwest states to bring Television to areas unable to receive normal broadcasts. In 1956, he joined the Martin Company for ten years at Cape Canaveral, as a junior engineer on space rocket programs. After being with the Martin Company for ten years, he resigned his position as a senior staff engineer and joined the Goertz Optical Company in Pittsburgh as a program manager for the NASA Lunar Geophysics Survey Camera project. In 1970, he accepted a position with the Pentron Corporation as director of research and development and retained this position until 1975. Harry was founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nu-Metrics; an electronic computer oriented company, started in 1980 in Vanderbilt, Pennsylvania, and later relocated to Route 119 in Uniontown. He later sold this company in 1998.
Throughout his career, he furthered his education in physics and mathematics at John Hopkins University and electronic engineering at the Cleveland Institute of Electronics. In 1982, he received his Doctorate in Electronic in Engineering from Kensington University with participation of California University of Pennsylvania’s, Science & Technology department.
Harry was inducted into the Radio Controllers Hall of Fame in 2008, the recipient of the NASA Space Science Award, author of 16 technical papers and the holder of 64 US and foreign patents. He recently wrote about his life and times in his book “Wizard of the Outer Lab” – a lifetime of inventing and adventures!
Harry holds memberships in the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Member of the Moorings Club, Vero Beach, Florida and Veterans of Foreign Wars lifetime membership.
He was a devoted Fisherman hosting years of Trout Fishing at his beloved Beaver Creek Lodge, Farmington, PA with all of his fishing buddies – plenty of laughter, fun, fishing stories and memories to last a lifetime.
He is a member of the Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church, Farmington, PA
His devoted companion Doc, beloved Golden Retriever and watchful caretaker of Beaver Creek Lodge along with Misty and Hans will miss him forever.
Harry is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Ann Kovell Sampey; his loving children: Son, Daryl Sampey and wife Heide of San Pointe, Idaho; daughters: Karen Sampey Singo of Ormond Beach, Florida, Brenda Auer of Melbourne, Florida, Christine Sampey of Orlando, Florida, Kim Sampey of Vanderbilt, Pa., and Vicki Sampey Dix and husband Kevin of Mt. Pleasant, Pa.; step-son, Paul Kovell and wife Tracey of Upper St, Clair, Pa.; ten grandchildren: Deanna Hackler and husband Ray, Darren Singo, Ashlee Auer, Ryan Auer, Cortny Kennick, Brody Sampey Dix, Daniel Sampey, Amy Sampey, Gunnar Kovell and Wyatt Kovell; and many loving great-grandchildren; his sister, Lila and her husband and Harry’s special brother-in-law, Bill Murphy of Banning, Pa. and his brother, Ken Sampey and wife Marlene of Banning, Pa. Harry is also survived by several fishing buddies and many other loving friends.
Friends will be received in the KEZMARSKY FUNERAL HOME, 71 Pennsylvania Avenue, Uniontown, Pa. on Friday, November 27, 2009 from 2 to 8 p.m. and Saturday morning until 10 a.m. with Rev. Nick Cook of Abundant Life Church and Pastor Dan McMaster of Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church officiating.
Interment will be in Mt. Washington Cemetery.
Military Honors will be accorded by VFW Post 7023 and American Legion Post 752 of Perryopolis at the cemetery.
Donations may be made in Harry’s name to the American Lung/Cancer Association or the Human Society of your choice.