Harry A. "Chick" McIlvaine

Harry A. “Chick” McIlvaine, 93, of Houston, died Thursday, January 28, 2021 in the Donnell House, Washington.

He was born October 17, 1927 in Canonsburg, the son of Harry A. and Edwina Mountford McIlvaine.

Chick was a 1945 graduate of Chartiers High School, received his Bachelor’s degree from Muskingham College in 1951 and obtained his Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

He excelled in baseball and basketball in high school and college.  Following college, he continued playing baseball for the PA Transformer team and basketball for Wylie Brothers.   He was inducted into the Washington/Greene County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 for baseball.

Mr. McIlvaine was a teacher for nearly 40 years.  He taught in Ohio for one year before taking a position with the Canonsburg School District for several years and serving as basketball coach during that time.  In 1958, he took a position in the Chartiers-Houston School District where he primarily taught in the Science department until his retirement in 1990.  During his time at Chartiers, he coached basketball from 1960 to 1974, baseball from 1967 to 1986 and for six years coached golf.

Chick was a veteran of the US Army,  having served with the occupational forces in Japan at the end of World War II.

He was a lifelong member of the First United Presbyterian Church in Houston, where he had served as an Elder and Deacon and was a Meals on Wheels volunteer.

Mr. McIlvaine was a former member of the Canonsburg-Houston Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow and belonged to the American Legion.

 Chick was an avid golfer, belonging to Lone Pine Golf Club and Washington Country Club.   He enjoyed traveling and spending winters at his condo in Jensen Beach, FL.  Most of all, he enjoyed the time spent with family and friends and loved following his sons’ and grandchildren’s activities and sporting events.

On August 22, 1953, he married Lois Ferguson who died March 24, 2020.

Surviving are two sons, Robert McIlvaine and his wife Cheri and Scott McIlvaine and his wife Jody both of Chartiers Township; four grandchildren, Craig McIlvaine of Durango, CO, Andy McIlvaine (Colby) of N. Strabane Township, Sara McIlvaine-Page (Chris) of Houston and Derek McIlvaine (Lindsey) of Bridgeville; and a step great granddaughter Jaedyn Page.

Friends will be received from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 pm Monday in the First United Presbyterian Church, 102 North Main Street, Houston, PA 15342, where services for both Chick and Lois will be held at 11:00 am Tuesday, February 2, 2021.  Private interment will follow in Oak Spring Cemetery, Canonsburg.

Arrangements by the McIlvaine-Speakman Funeral Home Ltd., Robert K. McIlvaine, Owner/Supervisor, 27 Cherry Ave., Houston, PA 15342.

Masks must be worn and social distancing guidelines should be followed.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the First United Presbyterian Church, Houston.

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