Obituary of Harry E. Gunther

Harry E. Gunther, age 86, died Sunday, August 6, 2006 at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville after a brief illness. Born in Edam, The Netherlands, he and his family immigrated to the United States in 1959, settled in Plainfield, and moved to Westfield in 1968, Watchung in 1989 and Bridgewater in 2003. Mr. Gunther was Music Director at St. Bernard Church in Plainfield from 1959 to 1968, and Holy Trinity Church in Westfield from 1968 until his retirement in 1977. Harry composed and published liturgical music and gave private music lessons. In 1934 at the age of 14, he was the youngest paid church organist in The Netherlands. An author, he recently completed his soon to be published book, The Two Dimensions of Reality". Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Cornelia A. (Reurs) Gunther; his four sons Alphons of Blairstown, Gerald of Meyersville, Clemens of Mountainside, Charles of Watchung; his five daughters, Afra Agostino of Quakertown, PA, Marion Riley of Westfield, Anneke Martoccia of Watchung, Cecilia Scialla of Pipersville, PA and Paula Reilly of Scotch Plains; two brothers and six sisters in The Netherlands and twenty four grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, August 9th at 9:15 am from Higgins Home for Funerals, 752 Mountain Blvd. Watchung followed by a funeral Mass at 10:00 am at St. Bernard Church, Plainfield and entombment at Somerset Hills Memorial Park Cemetery, Basking Ridge. Visitation will be Tuesday from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. Donations in his name to a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.