Harry Dallara

Harry Dallara, 95, World War II veteran of the Salerno Campaign, a well known and widely admired, long-time resident of Spartanburg, South Carolina, died Friday, April 27, 2012, at Spartanburg Regional Hospice Home, after a brief illness. One of a dwindling number of World War II Veterans, he served as an infantryman and was injured in the Allied Campaign in Southern Italy in the fall of 1943 while fighting on his ancestral soil. Mr. Dallara was a first-generation Italian-American who overcame long odds to become one of his town's most beloved nonagenarians. He was born in the Bronx, New York on January 9, 1917, along with his twin brother Louis H. Dallara, the sons of the late John and Leonilda Aldetti Dallara. His mother died during their childbirth when the attending midwife ran in fright at the appearance of an unexpected second baby. Forced to leave school after only eight years of public education in order to help support his family, Harry spent his early years working in a butcher shop and in his father's lumber and specialty furniture store. His early salesmanship skills were demonstrated when he sold a specially designed wooden stool to Mrs. Christina Fack Gehrig, Lou Gehrig's mother, an occasion during which he also had the opportunity to meet both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. During the early 1940's, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to Camp Croft in Spartanburg County, SC for boot camp in 1942. After basic training he was sent to North Africa and subsequently was part of the invasion of Salerno, Italy. During his service in Salerno, he suffered a severe concussion, for which he earned a Purple Heart, when a nearby private drew German shellfire by lighting a cigarette during the middle of the night. During his time at Camp Croft, he met Margaret Clarke Kennedy during a chance encounter on a bus carrying soldiers and USO volunteers. Although initially rejected ("I don't date soldiers"), he persisted. After the war, he returned to Spartanburg, won Margaret's hand, and they were married in early 1945. They settled in Spartanburg and raised two sons, both surviving-Dale Louis and Charles Harry. Following the death of his first wife in 1970, he met and married his second love, Mildred Prickett, who also survives him. He developed a career with Sears Roebuck, as it was known at the time, and became their most renowned tire salesman in Spartanburg and the surrounding region. His success at Sears was marred only by an incident when one of his store managers called him on the carpet to complain that due to his extraordinarily high sales and his commission structure, his pay had exceeded that of the store manager. It was made clear that this was not acceptable. When he retired from Sears after over 30 years of service in the late 1980's, he turned his attention to the Rose Garden at Converse College, a women's liberal arts college in Spartanburg. His practice of cutting roses and giving them to students as they walked to their morning classes earned him the moniker "The Rose Man," as well as the admonition of his supervisor for distributing too many roses to the students. Harry responded to the criticism, however, by saying "I only cut the roses that are already in full bloom, since they wouldn't last too much longer anyway." For his kindness, Converse College's 1990 yearbook was dedicated to "The Rose Man." Mr. Dallara remained very active throughout his years, reconnecting with his twin brother in the 1980's to form a small landscaping company for selected clients in his adopted hometown. His early years in the Bronx also generated a lifelong passion for baseball in general and the New York Yankees in particular. The above photo was taken weeks before his 90th birthday celebration. On the day of the party, Mr. Dallara's unique contributions to Spartanburg were recognized when the city proclaimed "Harry Dallara Day," also proclaimed simultaneously in the Bronx by Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr. He continued playing baseball past his 95th birthday this past January, often at his favorite location, Harmon Field in Tryon, North Carolina. Notwithstanding his many accomplishments during a long life, Mr. Dallara is best known among his family and friends for his warm, generous and caring personality. His affection for his family, which includes 44 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was amply evident throughout his life. Even during his last days, he charmed many staff at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, Eden Terrace and Spartanburg Regional Hospice, singing to the nurses and demonstrating a generosity of spirit by sharing his food with other family, friends and staff. Mr. Dallara is survived by his wife, Mildred; his sons Dale of Columbia, South Carolina, and Charles of Oak Hill, Virginia; his stepchildren Bobby Prickett of Gainesville, Georgia, Bette Hodges, Barbara Pollard, Kim Pankratz, and his "adopted son" Steve Parris, all of Spartanburg. He is also survived by his half-sister Flora Thoma of Tijeras, New Mexico, and one half-brother, John Dallara of Duluth, Georgia. Visitation will convene 10:00-10:45 AM Monday, April 30, 2012 at Bethel United Methodist Church where Mr. Dallara and his wife, Mildred, have been active for many years. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 AM, at the church, conducted by the Rev. David E. Nichols. A reception will follow at the church. Burial with military rites by the SC State Guard Honors Team will be performed at 2:00 PM in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to the Harry Dallara Baseball Diamond Fund, PO Drawer 1530, Spartanburg, SC 29304. 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