Henry Jourdan Finerfrock, 97, of Pierpont Heights, Morgantown took his final hiking journey to heaven with Jesus holding his hand on March 22, 2023.
Henry was born Oct. 14, 1925, in Harrisburg, Pa. He was the eldest son of the late Harry J. and Ruth Oyster Finerfrock. He graduated from William Penn High School in Harrisburg, Pa., where he played French horn with the school orchestra.
Henry served with the United States Navy during World War II. He was a Signalman 3/c on the USS Bataan in the Pacific Theater from 1943-1946.
Henry enjoyed hiking and backpacking. Twice, Henry climbed to the top of Mount Katahdin, the northern point of the Appalachian Trail in Maine in the 1950s. He was a member of the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, the Keystone Trails Association and the Pennsylvania Forestry Association in the Harrisburg, Pa. area. Henry served on the Executive Board of the Appalachian Trail Conference in Harpers Ferry, from 1977-1979.
Henry was employed by Bell Telephone as a lineman in the in 1950s. He was one of the first employees at the American Can Company in Lemoyne, Pa. when the company opened their new facility. Henry also drove the company tractor trailer with a load of tin cans from the factory to Baltimore and brought a load of new sheets of tin back. Henry said that he enjoyed driving the company truck. Henry retired after 34 years as the production mechanic.
In later years, Henry helped his brother build his log cabin, he enjoyed building model clipper ships, listening to organ and symphony concerts and working on his word search puzzle books. Henry enjoyed watching his bluebird family come to the bird feeder at his home.
Henry is survived by his daughter, Janet L. Finerfrock, of Morgantown; three grandchildren, Jennifer Boyles, of Morgantown; Kimberly and husband Andrew Nawrocki, of Boulder, Colo.; and Daniel Boyles, of Charleston. Henry has one great-grandson, Ellis James Nawrocki of Boulder, Colo. whom he had the privilege to meet on June 3, 2022.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 29 years, Doris Bixler Finerfrock in June 1981, and his younger brother, Richard Emerson Finerfrock, in October 2015.
The Patriot Guard Riders will escort Henry home to his graveside service at the Rolling Green Cemetery in Camp Hill, Pa., at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, with full military funeral honors being conducted at the graveside.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in his memory to WV Caring Hospice, P.O. Box 760 Arthurdale, WV 26520, the Patriot Guard Riders at www.wvpatriotguard.org or at WV Patriot Guard, 262 Allen Ridge Road, Wheeling, WV 26003.
Hastings Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
Condolences:
www.hastingsfuneralhome.com
