Harry Fior's Obituary
Harry Fior, age 84, of Amherst, passed away Saturday, June 18, 2011 at Amherst Hospital.
Harry was born on March 2, 1927 in Lorain, Ohio to the late Anthony D. and Frances (nee Nowicki) Fior. He was a 1944 graduate of Lorain High School where he was a member of the football team. His 1943 undefeated team was inducted into the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame in 1974.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy on April 10, 1945 and served as a Seaman First Class and was honorably discharged on August 23, 1946.
After his discharge from the U.S. Navy he graduated with honors from the Chicago Technical School where he studied estimating and contracting.
In 1949 he started his own construction business, H. Fior General Contractor Inc., his company built and renovated numerous buildings in Lorain County. His first project was the I.A.V. and his company went on to build several Meyer Goldberg Grocery Stores, Ridge Tool, Sacred Heart Chapel, St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church, Amherst St. Joseph Social Hall, Lakeview Beach Boardwalk, Germans Villa, Lorain Public Library, Lorain County Veterans Park, Huron Post Office and numerous banks and physicians offices.
He was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and St. Joseph Catholic Church, Amherst, Knights of Columbus, I.A.V., P.L.A.V., Noon Day- Amherst and the Oberlin Golf Club. He served as the youngest president of the Carpenters Union Local 705 and was instrumental in starting a pension for the Carpenter Union. He sponsored several golf and softball teams in Amherst.
Harry loved spending time at his cabin in Tidioute, PA with his family and friends. He also enjoyed playing golf, bowling and his dog.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Phyllis (nee Pienoski) Fior; Son, Gregory H. (Cathy), of Amherst; daughters, Rene F. (Chuck) Corne, of Landrum, South Carolina, Cynthia (Bill) VanDerweerd, of Amherst, Barbara (Steve) Bialko, of Amherst, Felicia (Bill) Fior-Nossek, of Huron and Dominique (Rick) Sorbo, of Lorain; grandchildren, Matthew, Natalie and Anthony Fior, Justin and Nicholas Hopkins and Christopher and Alex Bialko; 3 great-grandchildren; sister, Dolores (Leo) Bascone, of Lorain.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brothers, Raymond and Eugene Fior.
The Fior family will receive friends on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Dovin and Reber Jones Funeral and Cremation Center, 1110 Cooper Foster Park Road, Amherst. Closing prayers will be said on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral center followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Amherst, 200 St. Joseph Drive. Rev. Fr. Lawrence Martello, Pastor, will officiate. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Lorain.
The family suggest donations be made in his name to St. Joseph School for the education of students.
Online condolences may be left for the Fior Family at www.dovinreberjones.com
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