Retired Army Major Harold William Stitt ended his 18-month battle with cancer on April 26, 2023. He passed away at home surrounded by his loving daughters and faithful dog. He lived his life with a strong love of God, country, family, animals, and making people laugh.
Born on December 8, 1942, in Altoona, Pennsylvania, he lived his early years in Altoona before graduating from Altoona High School in 1960. After graduation, he worked as a bookkeeper at a local shop and as a machinist apprentice for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1962 before enlisting in the Army on January 29, 1966. He went on to complete flight school for the Army, graduating in 1967.
Harold retired from the US Army as a Major after 20 years of service. His service included over 1300 combat flight hours while serving 2 tours in Vietnam as a Huey helicopter pilot. During these deployments, he earned several prestigious medals, including two Distinguished Flying Crosses (1st Oak Leaf Cluster), Bronze Star, & Purple Heart, along with several others. During his last tour of Vietnam in 1970, he was an Aircraft Commander for General Creighton Abrams.
Through his 20-year Army career, he served many assignments in various locations overseas and in the United States, including: Flight Instructor at Fort Walters, Texas; Ft Benning, Georgia; Aschaffenburg, Germany; Hellfire Project – Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville, Alabama); Professor of Military Science at UNA in Florence, Alabama; and the Ballistic Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama.
While in the Army, he also earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Columbus College in 1977, and a Master of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Alabama in 1984.
After retiring from the Army in 1986, Harold worked at EER for a few years, eventually retiring in 2005 from Sparta Corporation as a project engineer after 16 years.
His time outside of work included watching Penn State football, dancing the polka with his devoted wife at every wedding they attended, many years coaching his daughters’ little league soccer and softball teams; serving as family and neighborhood mechanic; taking pictures as an amateur photographer; watching his daughters’ high school sports games at Grissom & college games at UAH; playing with his grandchildren; watching his grandchildren’s sports games; and serving as an active member of multiple Vietnam Veteran Associations, including the 191st AHC, National Chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, and North Alabama Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association. Harold was a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in South Huntsville.
In November of 2016, Harold was inducted into the Madison County Hall of Heroes.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harold G & Genevieve (Kehoe) Stitt; his loving wife of 52 years, Virginia (Miller) Stitt; several aunts and uncles; cousins; and faithful dogs, Fritz and Buddy.
He is survived by his brother, Dennis G. Stitt (Josephine) of Altoona, PA; sister, Judith Cardone (Gregory) of Pinellas Park, FL; his sister-like cousin, Karen Stanley of Altoona, PA; his children: Mary Lee Stitt (Joey Montz) of Pelham, Alabama; Amy Stitt of Huntsville, Alabama; Becky Plott (Charles) of Huntsville, Alabama; grandchildren: Justin Plott and Ashlyn Plott; and his step-grandchildren, Taylor Plott, Bryan Plott (Morgan), & Landon Montz; his faithful dog, Izzy; sister-In-Law, Barbara Clowson (Gerald) of Newark, DE; brother-in-Law, Richard A. Miller of Altoona, PA; aunts, Patricia Klausman of Altoona, PA and Marjorie Edwards of Altoona, PA; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Monday, May 8 from 5PM – 7PM at Good Shepherd Catholic Church-Huntsville. A funeral mass with full military honors will be held on Tuesday, May 9 at 9:45 AM, starting with a eulogy at Good Shepherd Catholic Church-Huntsville.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to: Helping a Hero Organization, your favorite local Veterans Organization; or Good Shepherd Catholic Church.
