Henry L. Parratto | Inquirer librarian, 96

Henry L. "Harry" Parratto, 96, of North Hills, a librarian at The Inquirer for 43 years, died of heart failure Monday, June 21, at St. Joseph's Villa in Flourtown.

Mr. Parratto graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1931 and then went to work in the library of the Philadelphia Public Ledger. He joined the Inquirer library staff in 1934.

During World War II, he was an Army sergeant stationed at Fort Sill, Okla. While home on furlough in 1944, he married Mary Elizabeth Bolger, who also worked in the Inquirer library.

After his discharge, he returned to The Inquirer. He was promoted to assistant librarian in 1957 and eventually became head librarian.

After retiring from The Inquirer in 1979, until the mid-1980s he was a volunteer, teaching library skills to students at Immaculate Conception School in Jenkintown, where his wife taught.

In August 2000, he and his wife celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary with an outdoor party at their home. She died two months later.

Mr. Parratto enjoyed gardening, especially growing tomatoes, and woodcrafts. He made Christmas ornaments and miniature mission-style adobe churches that he gave to friends and family as gifts, said his son, Stephen.

In addition to his son, Mr. Parratto is survived by two grandsons, two brothers, and a sister.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 3, at Queen of Peace Roman Catholic Church, 820 North Hills Ave., Ardsley, where Mr. Parratto attended daily Mass and was a eucharistic minister and lector. Friends may call at 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Cheltenham.