Harry Humes

With great sadness we announce the passing of Harry Humes, much-loved husband, father, grandfather, and well-known emeritus of Kutztown University, who left this world on April 4, 2025, at the age of 89. Born on June 5, 1935, Harry lived a life full of passion for writing, reading, teaching, and the natural world. He resided in Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania, and was the husband of Nancy C. (Wallace) Humes. They celebrated 41 years of marriage on March 5, 2025.

Born in Girardville, a small mining town in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Harry was a son of the late Edward and Doris (McCaffrey) Humes. His father worked as a deep-pit coal miner and his mother a teacher, after attending Kutztown Normal School, and then a homemaker. Harry attended Girardville High School, where he was a mediocre student and played on the high school basketball team, the Blue Aces. His real love was exploring what he called the "high lonesome," the mountains above his hometown, trapping, hunting, and fishing his secret "honey hole". He was a solo adventurer so often that his friends called him Natty Bumppo after the formative character in James Fenimore Cooper's novels. He graduated in 1953 and took a job working night shift, developing film at a local photography shop and then worked a few years at the Department of Labor and Industry in Harrisburg.

Harry was drafted into the United States Army in 1958, serving until 1960. He was dispatched to Fort Hood, Texas, for his basic training along with Elvis Presley. They did not become friends. From there he was stationed in a small town in Germany, working in the payroll office and spent his leave traveling Europe. He was transferred to Governor's Island and became familiar with New York City, particularly bookstores, bars, and Broadway theater. Serving his two years opened his world, and the GI Bill gave him the means to attend college. Harry enrolled at Bloomsburg State Teachers College where he majored in English. It was there Harry had the good fortune to befriend his professor Richard Savage, who became a mentor, guide, and very good friend for over 30 years. After graduating Harry taught English for a year at Pine Grove High School. Richard Savage gave him the confidence and guidance to attend graduate school.

Wanting to write and teach creative writing, he entered the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of North Carolina, and in 1967 received his degree. He chose not to pursue a doctoral degree, and instead taught for a year at Bennett College, a black women's college in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1968, he returned to Pennsylvania to accept a position in the English Department of then Kutztown State College, and retired from Kutztown University in spring of 1999. As he said, "I liked Kutztown from the first time I saw it. I like my colleagues, my students. It just fit like a good tweed jacket."

During his career at Kutztown University, Harry taught poetry and fiction writing courses, and developed the popular courses, Literature and Film, and Literature and the Environment. He also received funding from the university to edit and produce Yarrow, a national poetry journal published twice a year for 20 years until he retired.

For more than 30 years Humes published his short stories and poems in national journals. The first of his 14 books of poems, Winter Weeds, won the 1983 Devins Award from the University of Missouri Press. His final book, The Butterfly Effect, was selected for the National Poetry Series in 1998. In 1993 he won the Eighth Annual World's Greatest Short Short Story contest from the University of Florida for his story "The Cough." He was interviewed and read the 250-word story on NPR. He has read his work or served as writer in residence from Cornell to the University of Arkansas, Hope College in Michigan to UNCG and back to Penn State and Lehigh University. After retirement Harry worked as an adjunct professor at Cedar Crest College, Muhlenberg College and Lehigh University. He was also the very first Poet Laureate of Berks County.

Harry received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1990 for his work and four Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grants in 1986, 1988, 1996, and 1999.

Harry dedicated his life to education, writing, and inspiring countless students throughout his long career, encouraging them to explore their own voices and stories.

Harry was a man of huge interests, and an energy that never stopped. He loved life and being on the move. Some of his favorite things were his family, writing, fishing, friends, cycling, beer, gardening, the Boston Red Sox, and backpacking. Not necessarily in that order.

The special force that emanated from him, the way he made you feel singular and heard, will be missed forever.

Along with his wife of 41 years, Nancy, Harry is survived by his two daughters, Rachel C. (Humes), wife of Louis F. Manzo, Westfield, NJ, and Leah K. Humes, partner of Paul J. Gideon, Bethlehem, PA; three granddaughters, Natalie C. Manzo, Mary R. Manzo and Alice E. Manzo; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. In addition to his parents, Harry was predeceased by his sister, Alice (Humes) Umlauf, and brothers, Edward Humes and William Humes.

A memorial service to celebrate and honor Harry's life will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in Ludwick Funeral Homes and Cremation Care, Inc., 333 Greenwich Street, Kutztown, PA with Pastor Selina Hamilton officiating. Relatives and friends are invited to calling hours on Friday evening April 25, 2025 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. and April 26, 2025 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

The family requests contributions be made in Harry's memory to The American Cancer Society, at American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741, and the Keystone News Writing Scholarship, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA 19530.

Ludwick Funeral Homes and Cremation Care, Inc., Kutztown, PA is in charge of arrangements. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.Ludwickfh.com.