Harry A. Syak

Industrialist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Harry A. Syak died at his residence in Canfield August13th. The son of Charles and Sarah (Caines) Syak of Girard, Mr. Syak was born in Youngstown, July 29, 1935. He was a graduate of Girard High School and the University of Cincinnati where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering. After completing college in 1958, Mr. Syak worked for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers; First at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio providing oversight during the construction of a Strategic Air Command facility and Air Technical Intelligence Center and later at the Corps Louisville, Kentucky headquarters working on design projects for the National Guard installation at Youngstown Warren Regional Airport and Markland Dam. In 1961, Mr. Syak began a successful highway construction company in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. While residing in Wilkes-Barre, Mr. Syak was recruited by the National Boy Scout Council as one of twelve civic leaders to oversee the reorganization of the Penn Woods Council of Boy Scouts in Northeast Pennsylvania in 1969. During the disastrous 1972 floods in Northeast Pennsylvania, Mr. Syak utilized his expertise to assist businesses in the community inundated by the floodwaters In 1979, he joined Syro Steel Company retiring as president in 1994. Mr. Syak served on the Board of Directors of Bank One, Goodwill Industries and Bethel Lutheran Church. Mr. Syak is a past president of the Youngstown Symphony Society and served as chairman of their most recent capital campaign. An advocate for arts and education, Mr. Syak supported the Ohio Independent Colleges, Dana School of Music, the Butler Institute of American Art, American Symphony Orchestra League as well as the Youngstown Symphony Society. He supported both the YMCA and Wick Neighborhood capital campaigns. He was a member of the Youngstown Country Club and a 32nd Degree Mason. Mr. Syak was awarded the Fran Greenberg Award for outstanding board service by the Youngstown Symphony Society in 2000 and the Dana Award from the Dana School of Music in 2002. Besides both parents, Harry is survived by his wife Patricia whom he married August 8, 1959, a son Peter (Marete) of Bloomfield, New Jersey, sister Sally (Robert) Williams of Girard, his brother-in-law Thomas (Helen) Clark of Cincinnati, and a host of nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Harry and Gladys Caines, paternal grandfather Andrew I. Syak, and parents-in-law C. Peter and Louise Clark. Friends and family may call from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Sunday at the Lane Funeral Home Canfield Chapel. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Monday at the Ford Family Recital Hall at the Eleanor Beecher Flad Pavilion on Federal Plaza in Youngstown. Memorial Contributions may be sent to the Youngstown Symphony Society at 260 Federal Plaza West, Youngstown, OH 44503.