Harry J. Trott II

WORLD WAR II UNITED STATES NAVY VETERAN (HAPPY) HARRY JAMES TROTT II, 93 YEARS OLD, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON SUNDAY APRIL 14, 2019 AT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE VETERANS HOME IN TILTON NEW HAMPSHIRE.

HARRY, WHO IS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS “HAPPY” HARRY, WAS BORN ON JANUARY 8, 1926 IN SALEM MASSACHUSETTS, THE SON OF HARRY L. TROTT AND MARION M. (WALSH). HE IS PREDECEASED BY HIS WIFE CORINNE TROTT AND THEIR THREE SONS, RICHARD, RONALD AND HARRY JAMES THE 3RD. HE LEAVES BEHIND A BROTHER AND SEVERAL GRANDCHILDREN.

HARRY ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY ON HIS 17TH BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 8, 1943 AND SERVED FOR THREE YEARS DURING WW II. HARRY COMPLETED HIS BASIC TRAINING AT GREAT LAKES NAVAL BASE. DURING HIS TIME IN SERVICE HE WAS STATIONED IN THE US NAVY’S SEVENTH FLEET ATTACHED TO THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA WHERE HE WAS ACTIVE ON SEVERAL WAR PATROL MISSIONS AGAINST JAPANESE NAVAL FORCES. HE SERVED SATISFACTORILY ACTIVE DUTY ON VESSELS AND STATIONS IN TASK FORCE 72, AND ONBOARD THE GATO CLASS SUBMARINE USS GUARDFISH (SS-217), USS GATO, MAHAN CLASS DESTROYER USS DRAYTON (DD-366) AND THE ILL FATED GATO CLASS SUBMARINE USS SCAMP (SS-277).

WHILE IN THE NAVY HARRY TOOK AN INTEREST IN B0XING AND DANCING. HE NOT ONLY BOAST HE HELD THE HONOR OF CHAMPION BOXER OF THE PACIFIC FLEET BUT THAT OF A JITTERBUG DANCER.  UPON HIS HONORABLE DISCHARGE FROM THE NAVY ON OCTOBER 16, 1944, HARRY CONTINUED TO PRACTICE IN THE SPORT OF BOXING UNTIL HIS DEBUT IN A LOCAL BOXING CIRCUIT AS A LIGHTWEIGHT CONTENDER IN 1946. DURING HIS ONLY YEAR ON THE CIRCUIT HE EARNED A REPUTATION OF THE ONE WHO LAUGHED EVERYTIME HE WAS HIT IN THE FACE. THE NICK NAME “HAPPY” HARRY ORIGINATES FROM HIS TIME IN THE RING.

HARRY WENT ON TO BECOME A SALESMAN AFTER THE WAR AND OWNED AN APPLIANCE AND FURNITURE STORE. HE MARRIED  CORINNE AND RAISED A FAMILY BRINGING UP HIS THREE BOYS AND STAYING ACTIVELY INVOLVED AS A COACH IN FOOTBALL AND LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL. BY THE 1970’S HE AQUIRED A PASSION FOR SQUARE DANCING.

ALONG THE WAY HE DEVELOPED THE TALENT AND EXPERTISE AS THAT OF A SQUARE DANCE CALLER. FOR MANY YEARS HARRY TRAVELED TO SQAURE DANCE CLUBS ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND AND ENTERTAINED ALL AS A CALLER UNDER THE NAME OF “HAPPY AND ME” AS HE JOINED INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH A CUER.

IN ADDITION TO HIS BUSINESS AS HAPPY AND ME, HE OPENED A THRIFT STORE WITH HIS PARTNER CALLED MOOSE AND MORE IN CONWAY NEW HAMPSHIRE.  HARRY LOVED TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND HIS UPLIFTING SPIRIT SUITED HIM WELL WITH THE CUSTOMERS.

THE PASSION HARRY DEVELOPED AS A SQUARE DANCE CALLER FOLLOWED HIM RIGHT UP UNTIL HIS RESIDENCY AT THE VETERANS HOME ON NOVEMBER 17, 2011 AND THERE TOO, HE WAS KNOWN TO GET ON THE MICROPHONE AND DO WHAT HE KNEW BEST, JUST BE HAPPY HARRY.

UP UNTIL HIS PASSING, HARRY WAS ACTIVE AT THE VETERANS HOME IN ATTENDING GAMBLING ACTIVITIES, PLAYING BINGO AND WATCHING MOVIES AND DOCUMENTARIES. HE ALWAYS HAD AN INVITATION FOR EVERYONE TO FOLLOW HIS DANCING WHEEL CHAIR. HARRY ESPECIALLY LIKED ATTENDING TRIPS TO THE DOG TRACK AND CASINOS TO PLAY BLACK JACK AND POKER.

HARRY ALWAYS MADE A PASSIONATE EFFORT TO TAKE NEW RESIDENTS UNDER HIS WING WITH A LOVE OF BEING THE WELCOME WAGON FOR HIS COMRADES. HE HAD ADVICE FOR ALL NEW VETERANS, “IF YOU CAN’T LIVE AT HOME; THIS IS THE PLACE TO LIVE BECAUSE YOU’RE WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR YOU. WE ARE ALL LIKE FAMILY HERE!”

“HAPPY” HARRY STAYED WITH HIM HIS ENTIRE LIFE. HARRY WAS A GENUINELY HAPPY MAN WHO WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY ALL WHO’S LIVES HE TOUCHED IN THE WORLD AND AT THE VETERANS HOME.   

Graveside services will be held Friday April 26, 2018 at 3:00pm at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery, Boscawen, NH.

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