Harry Paul Mann, Captain, Usn Retired

Harry Paul Mann of Bozeman, MT, and Aliquippa, PA, left this world in search of a greater trout stream when he passed away on October 1, 2021, at the age of 83. A private celebration of his life will take place this week in Montana, and he will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery on a future date. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dottie, their sons Harry Jr. and Kent, and grandchildren Jeanne and Harry III.



Born on January 22, 1938, in Rochester, PA to George and Mary Mann, Harry was raised in Aliquippa, PA. His love of fishing and the outdoors began when he first wielded a fly rod at age two. He attended and was co-valedictorian at Aliquippa High School in 1955 and was awarded a Naval ROTC scholarship to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, where he met the love of his life, Dottie. Harry earned an undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering and began his storied career as a U.S. Naval Officer when he was commissioned as an Ensign in 1959. He and Dottie were married on July 2, 1960, while he was serving as the Chief Engineering Officer on the destroyer escort USS Kretchmer (DE-329).



Accepted into the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program by Admiral Hyman Rickover in 1961, he dedicated the next eight years preparing for his career as an Engineering Duty Officer (EDO). After receiving a Master of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering from Penn State University in 1969, he was given his first EDO staff assignment as a Ship Superintendent at Charleston Naval Shipyard. Steady promotions and increased responsibilities followed, with assignments in Virginia Beach, VA, Idaho Falls, ID, Bremerton, WA, Washington, D.C. and Portsmouth, VA. His roles during this time included Repair Officer, Instructor, Detailer, and Production Officer. In 1985, at the rank of Captain (0-6), he reached the pinnacle of his career when he was awarded the prestigious position of Commanding Officer, Mare Island Naval Shipyard, in Vallejo, CA.



After retiring from his 30-year Navy career in 1989, Harry worked in key leadership roles for the Defense Contractor E G & G, including General Manager of Rocky Flats in Colorado. When he finally retired from E G & G in 1995, he and Dottie traveled north and built the home of their dreams on the East Gallatin River in Bozeman.



For the past 26 years, Harry and Dottie have been busy doing all the things that they love; fly fishing, walking their beloved Malamutes, traveling the world, hosting epic parties, and actively supporting their friends and wonderful community.



To all who knew him, Harry was first and foremost a loving and devoted husband. To his children and grandchildren, he was always a proud and supportive father and grandfather. To his country, he was a noble patriot and a great leader.