Alle-Kiski Valley Hall of Famer Harry Crytzer remembered as a ‘staple of Freeport athletics’

By: Michael Love
Saturday, July 19, 2025 | 11:37 AM

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Harry Crytzer loved Freeport athletics.

Whether it was basketball, volleyball or football, he was there rooting on Yellowjackets athletes.

“From when I played on teams at Freeport, to when I was coaching, to being the AD and went to a lot of games with Harry and our athletic trainer, Bill Siegel, you could see the pride Harry had for Freeport athletics. It meant so much to him,” Freeport athletic director Shawn Stivenson said.

“Bill took such good care of Harry, and they were great friends. You knew you were at the right place because Harry was there.

“He had so many grandchildren and great grandchildren who played at Freeport, whether it was football, basketball or volleyball. He was always there and loved seeing them play and loved seeing Freeport kids at a game.”

Crytzer’s love of Freeport and its athletes was founded in his own journey, from a student-athlete there and a graduate of the school after serving his country in World War II, to other athletic ventures after his Freeport education concluded.

“So many people formed a bond with Harry,” Stivenson said. “When we played basketball at the high school, he was always in that corner will Bill sitting in a chair yipping at a referee or saying this or that. He got into the games and was very enthusiastic. It was just so much fun to be around him.”

For all of his 97 years, Crytzer made an impact on everyone he met along the way, and many were profoundly changed for the better.

Harry Crytzer, a member of the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday surrounded by family members he cherished and doted over for all of their accomplishments in athletics and in life.

His death came just one day after his wife of 75 years, Regina Ann, died at age 94.

“They had such a great life together, and they went out the way they wanted to,” said Claire Crytzer, Harry’s great granddaughter, a former Freeport girls volleyball and softball standout and now a coach with the Yellowjackets girls volleyball program.

“It is sad, but we’re also celebrating their lives. We were so very lucky to have them for so long. I think that with him passing away just a day after her, it was that he couldn’t live without her. They were very dependent on each other. They did everything together.”

Claire said she cherished all of the times her great grandfather was present for her games, including seeing her celebrate, with emotion and tears in his eyes, the Freeport girls 2017 Class 2A state volleyball championship with teammate and younger cousin, Cora, and brother and Yellowjackets assistant coach, Grant.

“He was a staple of Freeport athletics, and I knew he would always be there to support me and give me some pointers,” she said.

Harry Crytzer was a three-sport star at Freeport when he, after his junior year, chose to serve the U.S. efforts in World War II.

He continued to play baseball in Guam after the war while serving in the Naval Air Corps.

He played semi-pro football and basketball in the early 1950s and had a stint as a player-manager with the Freeport Independents baseball team.

Crytzer managed Freeport American Legion to the 1960 state finals.

He later worked as a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates and conducted tryouts at Forbes Field.

Crytzer was a sheet metal worker who took pride in his union work to help those in need.

His athletic accomplishments were recognized and celebrated with his hall of fame induction in 2022.

“I was part of the A-K Valley Sports Hall of Fame committee who voted him in, and that was a special night,” Stivenson said.

“He did such an impressive job with his speech. You could tell just how proud he was of his athletic accomplishments and also his family and being an important part of the Freeport community.”

Claire Crytzer said her great grandmother was no slouch when it came to showing off her athletic prowess.

“I always said she was the best athlete in the family,” she said. “Some may argue with that, but I always credit her with my athletic ability.

“She was so instrumental in my sporting life. She could hit a softball pretty far, and she played baseball with all of her kids without a glove. I think one of the reasons I am so thankful and grateful to have been able to play sports to the level I did and to compete and win was because she wasn’t given that same opportunity. She was born in 1930, and at that time growing up in the ’30s and ’40s, girls didn’t have the same chance to compete and excel the same as the boys. If she did, I know she would’ve been in all the newspapers and won WPIAL and state championships. She was always right there too, rooting you on and sharing in your achievements.”

Harry and Regina’s seven children — Daniel, Keith, Carol, Kurt, Kent, Tracy and Kelly — 25 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren and other family, along with friends, fellow church parishioners and many others throughout the Freeport community, gathered to pay respects to and celebrate the lives of both at a viewing Thursday and a service Friday at Redmond’s Funeral Home in Freeport.

Matt Crytzer, Freeport’s mayor, said he was overwhelmed and grateful for all of the support so many in the Freeport community and beyond showed his grandparents.

“To hear the stories everyone from multiple generations had of affection and emotion for them was truly special and heartwarming,” he said Thursday evening as many gathered after the viewings to continue to share in the memories.

“I’m standing on Fifth Street in Freeport, and my grandfather, when he got back from the war, was standing exactly where I am, not with a cell phone but with a cigarette and his buddies having some beers,” Matt said.

“What a life he lived, in service to his country and to his friends and all the family he loved so much, and what a life he and my grandmother had together. Their life and their eventual decline and end, it was just timed up perfectly to each other. It was like a storybook ending to an incredibly productive life with seven kids, and so many grand kids and great grand kids. They are together again, and it is such a wonderful thing to think about.”

Freeport United Methodist Church officials temporarily removed the pew that Harry Crytzer sat in for 70 years so it could be displayed at Thursday’s viewing at Redmond.

“His daughter, Carol, is our church secretary, so we had an inside track on how they were doing,” church and community member Chuck Sarver said.

“We knew they were not doing well. We had a nice talk with his daughter, and my wife suggested that we get that pew up to Redmonds. We called there and talked about if we could do this. Ryan Redmond, the previous owner who is still involved and is a former member of the church, said it was a great idea because everyone knew Harry, whether you liked sports or didn’t like sports.”

The pew was placed in the entrance way to the funeral home, and each visitor was able to view it and remember Harry.

“Many who went in and out and knew that he went to our church recognized that pew,” Sarver said.

“Harry lived to be 97, and another church member, Forrester VanDyke, lived to be 100. They both sat in that pew. So, the story is that if you want to live to be 100 or close to 100, make sure you sit on that pew for a while. It made for a nice conversation piece in remembrance of Harry.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Tags: Freeport