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IN MEMORY
Piero (Pete) Harris
1957 - August 9, 2006
AUGUST 14, 2006 - Piero (Pete) Harris, a first team All-America safety at Penn State in 1978, died Wednesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 49.
A product of Mount Holly, N.J., Harris was one of three brothers to play football for Penn State and Coach Joe Paterno. One of nine children, an older brother, Franco (1969-71) and a younger brother, Giuseppe (1979-81) also were starters for the Nittany Lions.
"Pete was somebody that everyone liked," Paterno said. "His teammates really liked being around him. Pete was a gifted athlete. The Harris family is such a great family. It's such a shame...a tragedy."
A safety, Harris led the nation with 10 interceptions in 1978 to earn first team All-America honors from United Press International. His 10 interceptions tied Neal Smith (1969) for the Penn State season record, a mark that still stands. Harris recorded 15 interceptions during his career (1976-78, '80), a total that is tied for second (with Darren Perry) in the school record books. Only Smith, with 19, had more career picks. Harris gained 155 return yards on his 10 interceptions during his junior season and had 183 return yards in his career.
A three-year letterwinner, Harris helped the Nittany Lions earn a superlative 34-4 combined record in 1977, '78, and '80. Penn State won two Fiesta Bowls and played Alabama in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship during his career.
In 1977, Harris started several games at safety, but his season ended when he suffered a broken ankle against North Carolina State late in the year. He had two interceptions and seven tackles.
Harris recorded 28 tackles (21 solo), and recovered two fumbles in addition to his nation's best 10 interceptions in 1978, helping Penn State to an 11-0 regular season and the No. 1 ranking entering the epic Sugar Bowl clash with Alabama.
In 1980, Harris made 27 stops, grabbed three more interceptions and recovered two fumbles, helping the Nittany Lions to a 10-2 mark, with a win over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Harris played in the 1981 Japan Bowl.
Harris played football, basketball and baseball at Rancocas Valley High School and twice earned honorable mention All-Burlington County honors on the gridiron.
Harris majored in food service and housing administration at Penn State and was an executive chef at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
He is survived by his mother, Gina Harris, four brothers and four sisters, nieces and nephews.
Friends may call Tuesday, Aug. 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the Perinchief Funeral Home, 438 High Street in Mount Holly. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Burlington County Chapter of the American Heart Association, 600 South White Horse Pike, Audubon, N.J. 08106.
(The Burlington County Times contributed information for this report)
Harry Little
October 13, 1927 - July 27, 2006
JULY 30, 2006 ?? Harry Little, a man well-known and well-respected in the York County sports community, died Thursday after a long battle with renal cancer. He was 78. Little played soccer, basketball and baseball for Dover High School before graduating in 1945.
He went to Penn State that fall and made the Nittany Lions soccer team as a freshman.
He left school to enlist in the Navy, serving his country from 1946 to 1948.
Returning to Penn State, he played soccer for three more years to earn four letters in the sport. He was named a first-team All-American his last two years and captained the Penn State team in 1950. The team played in the first-ever U.S. Soccer Bowl in St. Louis in 1949, and Little scored the tying goal with 10 seconds left to earn a 2-2 tie with the University of San Francisco.
The team returned to the Soccer Bowl the next season, defeating Purdue 4-1 to win the national championship. Later in 1950, it represented the nation on a goodwill trip to Iran.
Little also played third base for two years on Penn State's baseball team before returning to Dover to coach soccer and baseball for 33 years, according to his brother Robert Little, "winning numerous soccer and a couple of baseball championships."
Little played Central League baseball for many years. He also played pro baseball for the Hagerstown Braves under the late "Dutch" Dorman of York, but returned after two weeks to focus on his coaching career.
Little is a member of the York Area Sports Hall of Fame.
On the golf course, Little was the Grandview club champion in 1971. He golfed at Grandview four times a week before his illness, according to his brother.
"Whatever he did, he was a good competitor," Robert Little said. "He always liked to compete."
Harry Little represented Grandview in the York County Amateur Golf Association for a number of years and was an honorary Life Member of the YCAGA.
Besides his brother, he leaves Nancy, his wife of 51 years; daughters Stephanie, Susan and Michelle; and four grandchildren.
(Article by Al Gregson for the York Daily Record)
Per "Torgy" Torgersen
May 31, 1932 - July 8, 2006
Per "Torgy" Torgersen, a native of Norway, was an All-America selection for Penn State Men's Soccer in 1955, also earning letters in 1956 and 1957.
After graduating in 1958 with a degree in Engineering, Torgersen went on to have a highly successful career in international business. He worked for the 3M Corporation for 20 years, holding executive positions in Japan, the Philippines, Finland, and Sweden. Moving back to Norway in 1977, he became a Vice President at a bank and, later, was involved in the Norwegian shipping industry. After retiring in 1982, Torgersen traveled frequently and was a professional board member.
Despite living around the world, Torgersen maintained a keen interest in Penn State men's soccer and closely followed the program's exploits. He was instrumental in recruiting three Norwegian players to Penn State in the late 1980s.