Sickler

TYRONE — The accolades are many for Tyrone native Harry Sickler, who died Friday at the age of 94.

“He is probably the greatest man I have ever met,” said Jim Roseberry, a long-time friend and former chairman of the Tyrone Monogram Club, founded by Sickler.

“He has done so much for the Tyrone community. I can’t think of another person who has done more for Tyrone and central Pennsylvania than him,” Roseberry said.

Those sentiments were echoed by John Franco, Tyrone Area High School football coach.

“There was no single person who contributed more to the Tyrone community than Harry. He was involved in every aspect of the community,” Franco said.

Sickler is being remembered as a fantastic person who didn’t want any credit, he said.

“He would help but didn’t want to be in the limelight,” Franco said. “He has left a legacy second to none throughout Tyrone and the Blair County community.”

Chuck Banas, president of the Monogram Club, said Sickler loved the community and did everything with very little fanfare.

Sickler was so involved, Banas said, that “if you look at Tyrone, you can’t find anything without saying Harry’s name.”

Respect for Sickler “was an automatic thing,” Banas said. “When you met Harry, you totally respected the guy.”

Sicker was probably best known as a businessman and community supporter. He won numerous awards over the years, including the Lifetime Achievement Award for Business Excellence from the Blair County Chamber of Commerce in 2017.

Sickler was well known as founder of his CPA firm — now known as Sickler, Tarpey and Associates — as well as the founder and longtime owner of the Bull Pen Restaurant.

“I started working with Harry in 1992. Harry cared about his clients and was never afraid to make an investment if it benefited Tyrone,” said partner Randy Tarpey. “We worked well together and never had any significant disagreement.”

As a member of Team Ten, Sickler was instrumental in the reopening of the Tyrone paper mill as American Eagle Paper Mills in 2003.

“He was my partner at Team Ten American Eagle Paper Mills. He was a strong advocate for me and the paper mill. His sole purpose of getting involved was to restore jobs in Tyrone,” said Clark Adelman, vice president of finance and administration. “He was one of a kind. I always referred to him as Mr. Tyrone.”

Philip Devorris, president and CEO of Blair Companies, said Sickler was a “great partner in good times and bad.”

Working with Sickler at American Eagle, Devorris said Sickler came to every meeting with smart questions about the company’s financials and made sure to always look at the big picture.

“He had a long-term business outlook and always looked for the best outcome for everyone — employees, owners, customers and vendors,” Devorris said of Sickler.

“I’ve known and worked with Harry for over 30 years and really spent time with him at American Eagle over the past decade,” he said. “When the mill had some down years, Harry was always the first to offer to help and came up with funds when they were needed most.”

A huge supporter of Tyrone, Sickler always led by example, Devorris said, noting he said that companies could only prosper if the community prospered.

On that belief, Sickler was a member of many local organizations.

He was a key fundraiser for Tyrone Hospital and helped save the institution from bankruptcy in the 1960s. He was also a key player with the Tyrone Improvement Corporation and was a co-founder of the Jobs for Joes program, which helped attract new companies to the area.

He was also one of the founders of the Sinking Valley Country Club and was the founder of the Tyrone Monogram Club.

Marty Marasco, retired president/CEO of Altoona Blair County Development Corp., first met Sickler in 1972 on a project to provide updated infrastructure in the Tyrone Industrial Park.

Sickler served on the board of directors of the Tyrone Improvement Corp., Altoona Enterprises, the ABCD Corp., and was a vital and long-standing member of the Blair County Industrial Development Authority and the Blair County General Authority.

“His service, knowledge and commitment to these organizations was invaluable,” Marasco said. “He constantly gave of his time and provided resources for the betterment of the organizations and the programs and projects that they advanced.”

Marasco said Sickler’s contributions to economic and community development were first class. “He was intelligent, attentive, full of knowledge and a very sharing and caring person — he sacrificed a lot for the benefit of others,” Marasco said.

Athletics played a big role in Sickler’s life as well.

He was a Notre Dame graduate and a longtime fan of the Fighting Irish. That’s how he met Dick Brothers of Mishawaka, Ind.

“I met Harry when I came in for the Penn State game in 1981. He was a very thoughtful man; if you were a friend of Harry’s, you never had to worry about having a friend,” Brothers said, noting he knows how much the Tyrone community meant to Sickler.

Sickler was instrumental in bringing Franco in as Tyrone Area High School football coach in 1994.

“He was like my football father,” Franco said, noting Sickler would ask what was needed.

“He was always there to help the school board and community,” Franco said. “He has meant so much to the football program’s success. … I owe so much to him for that, he helped tremendously.”

Sickler was inducted into the Tyrone Wrestling Hall of Fame and was recognized in 2005 as a TASD Distinguished Alumni. The Harry K. Sickler Jr. Athletic Park, among other things, was his namesake.

Much of what Sickler did, though, was behind the scenes.

“He did so many things behind the scenes to make Tyrone a better place and never brought attention to them. He truly loved his God, family, Tyrone and Notre Dame football,” said Tyrone native John Harlow. “If you knew Harry Sickler, you became a better person because of it. If we were to put everyone who was touched by Harry together, we would need Beaver Stadium, and it would be standing room only.”

Retired Tyrone Area School District Superintendent William Miller said Sickler was an outstanding individual.

“If you were looking at someone who made an impact in education and in the community, it was Harry Sickler. It was incredible what this gentleman has done for this community and school. I have more respect for Harry Sickler than anyone; it was great to work with him for about 50 years,” Miller said.

Rose Black, executive director of the Tyrone Area Chamber of Commerce, called Sickler a great asset to Tyrone and a friend of many businesses.

“He was always there to provide leadership. He was instrumental in getting things up and running, he contributed to everything,” Black said.

Roseberry called Sickler an incredible guy, who lived to serve others.

“He did everything he could for the community of Tyrone, the school and athletics. Harry was there when anyone needed anything. When he saw a need, he went out and did it. He got people involved and moved things along,” Roseberry said.

“We will miss him,” Franco said.

Friends will be received from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 until 8 p.m. today, Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at Richard H. Searer Funeral Home Inc., Tyrone. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, Tyrone, the Rev. Michael Pleva, celebrant. Interment will be made at Oak Grove Cemetery following the Mass.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.