Dr. Harry Spain

Dr. Harry Spain. 85, of Murrysville, passed away under AHN Hospice Care, Monroeville on February 23, 2025. He was born in Centralia, Illinois in 1939, to Harry and Daisy Spain. His mother was a career hospital pediatric nurse and his father worked in the rubber industry for the U.S. defense dept. His parents and siblings have passed. He is survived by his loving wife and soulmate, Dr. Ellen Virginia Spain of Murrysville.  They had no children.

Harry received full President Woodrow Wilson scholarships & research fellowships in Physics at Kenyon College, Ohio, Fulbright scholarships & research fellowships in graduate Physics at the University of Heidelburg, followed the next year with a fellowship to the Max Planck Institute, Germany, and in Mathematics at the U. of Michigan where he completed his Ph.Ds., also completing post-doctoral studies in Artificial Intelligence.

He first worked professionally with updating 1st generation computer systems design with the ENIAC  for the U.S. Navy, Norfolk, VA, then taught college Math at the U. of Michigan and U. of Pittsburgh for almost two decades before joining Bettis Atomic Lab working on nuclear submarine systems design and implementation as well as teaching nuclear systems at their facility in Idaho Falls, Idaho, retiring twelve years ago due to medical issues, after a long career as Bettis Lab's Data Base Administrator. His science publications are classified with the U. S. Dept. of Defense.

Dr. Spain met the love of his life, Ellen Virginia at the U. of Pittsburgh; they were married Episcopalian in 1970, and honeymooned in Kentucky, spelunking for several weeks at Mammoth Cave. During their next 55 years of marriage as eternal best friends, they continued to enjoy many unique vacations. Dr Spain's favorite were his trips to Africa and Germany. 

Dr. Harry Spain has been a financial benefactor to Kenyon College for many years, and a financial sponsor to NASA and America Cares/Doctors without Borders. His hobbies included Bonsai horticulture, blowing glass at classes he took at Corning Glass, scuba diving, global traveling, making stained glass plates, being with his loving cats, plus extensive reading in SF & fantasy.

Funeral arrangements at Hart Funeral Home, Murrysville, and interment at Restland Cemetery are private. For online condolences, please visit www.hartfuneralhomeinc.com. 

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