Harry J. Wilber

For the last 15 years, he suffered chronic neurological diseases from his Vietnam era military service. His loving family and extended support team were with him for his hard fought but long, winless battle.

He was born on Memorial Day, May 30, 1948, in Syracuse, a son of the late Everett and Henrietta (Yettie Visser) Wilber. He grew up as Harry John (given name) in Kirkville, New York, and graduated from East Syracuse-Minoa School District in 1966. His 1968 graduation from the Ranger School in Wanakena was the start of his forestry profession.

On Aug. 17, 1968, he married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Sitnik, in East Syracuse. They moved to Corvallis, Oregon, and he continued forestry learning at Oregon State University taking advantage of internships. In the summer of 1969, he was a big tree chocker setter by day at Mount St. Helens in Washington and fire watchman 24/7 on the logging sites of Weyerhauser Co. He worked on Survey Crews and as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service 1970 in Oregon, California and Washington with an interest in smoke jumping. The 1969 Vietnam draft lottery afforded him a short-cut choice, and he became an “All the Way” paratrooper in the Army’s 82nd Airborne “All-American” Division from 1970 to 1972.

Upon discharge, he continued his forestry education, graduating 1977 from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. A summer internship brought him to the woodlands of International Paper in Tupper Lake. His dream permanent job became a reality, and the family moved to Tupper Lake in 1978. An opportunity to join the LandVest Timberland Division to do forest management, consulting and timberland real estate sales for 24 years concluded his forester career in 2009. His semi-retirement work was at Tupper Lake Central School District as a custodian and bus driver ending due to his chronic military diseases.

He took part in sports, activities and hobbies over the years. He was playing football, softball and doing Judo in his 30s, golfing last year and bowling recently. He was a devoted hockey coach for Tupper Lake hockey and the summer Seaway Valley Canadian Program for over seven years. Stump or 1st Gear Harry was a founding board member of the Tupper Lake Woodsman Association in 1980 that brought back the Tupper Lake Woodsmen’s Days that year. He was a proud Raquette River 8, Lion’s Club and Chapter 1024 Woodsmen Life member. He was a life member of all his College Alumni Associations, New York State Society of American Foresters, Veteran DAV, American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars and more. The Bear Brook Hunting Club and Camp days with the Reichel and Russell private hunting areas extended his time in the woods.

In the last few years, his vegetable gardening and RV camping gave him time to be outdoors. His truest passion was traveling and attending NASCAR races all over America, watching them on TV and race talking. He was an avid car and truck collector and so enjoyed it when people wanted to talk to him about his ride of the day.

Harry’s family was his pride and joy. Doing anything with his grandchildren or watching them in school activities, sports or community events filled him with delight.

Surviving is his wife, Joanne (Sitnik); daughter Katrina (Gary) Audet of Lawrenceville, New Jersey; son Scott of Tupper Lake; grandchildren Briana and Alexis Audet of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and Lily and Aiden Wilber of Tupper Lake; pets Suki and Jack; and nephews Cassie Sitnik of Kirkville, Collin (Mackenzie) Russell of East Syracuse and Tyler (Paula) Russell of Commack.

Besides his parents, his brother Bruce Wilber passed away on May 5, 2024.

A celebration of life for Harry will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, May 31 at the Frary Funeral Home in Tupper Lake. A memorial service will take place at 1 p.m. Friday, July 5 at the Kirkville Cemetery, Kirkville, New York.

Memorial donations to the Tupper Lake Volunteer Ambulance and Emergency Squad, 169 Main St., Tupper Lake, NY 12986 for his last ride. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you plant a tree in Harry’s memory. Please visit A Living Tree or mail your tree contribution to: A Living Tribute, 500 West Putnam Avenue – Suite 400, Greenwich, CT 06830.