WOLFE, Harold W.

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Tuesday, January 03, 2012 Harold W. Wolfe passed away on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011, in Prescott, Ariz. He was born on Aug. 1, 1920, in Buffalo, N.Y. Harold was the second son of Ralph and Laura Wolfe and was the third child of four. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister. Harold was raised in Buffalo and the Buffalo suburb of Riverside. As a child, he attended St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Riverside. He attended McKinley High School in Riverside and completed high school with several courses in metal working and shop that would be important to his military service and working career. After some working experience he joined the Navy and spent time on the destroyer USS Eberle as a gunners-mate. While Harold was in the service, he met Betty Jane Hardy while he was on leave, and they were married on Nov. 11, 1944. Their only son, Jim, was born on Dec. 28, 1945, after Harold had left the service after World War II. Harold and Betty lived in Buffalo and the surrounding suburbs from 1945 to 1959. Harold had machinist training and became a machinist for Bell Aircraft in Niagara Falls. He was laid off from Bell Aircraft in 1959, and he and two other men decided to travel to Los Angeles to try to work for Northrop Aircraft. On the way to Los Angeles, the group stopped in Phoenix, Ariz., and found employment at an aircraft company. Then shortly after that he was hired as a machinist for Motorola. Harold lived in the Phoenix area from 1959 to 1980 and continued to buy, live in and sell homes. During this time, the family lived in six homes in Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe. During the time in Scottsdale, Harold and Betty fell in love with Prescott, and they built their first home in the Mountain Club area in 1970. During his time in Prescott, he built three homes that the family lived in and three additional homes that he sold after serving as the General Contractor. After his retirement in 1975, he and Betty moved permanently to Prescott, and they built their current home in 1990. In Prescott they attended St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church and, for the last 10 years, the American Evangelical Lutheran Church. He is survived by his wife, Betty Jane; and his son, Jim from Highlands Ranch, Colo. He is also survived by his two grandchildren, Susan Will in Aurora, Colo., and Thomas Wolfe in Cheyenne, Wyo.; and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, at Sunrise Funeral Home 8167 E. Highway 69 in Prescott Valley, Ariz. The family suggests donations be made in Harold's name to the charity of your choice. Sunrise Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. Information provided by survivors.