Harold R. "Dick" Bittner

Harold “Dick” Bittner of Thurmont, Maryland died December 29, 2024, at his home surrounded by his family. He was born at home on July 11, 1936, in Lantz (now Sabillasville), Maryland to the late Harold A. and Helen E. (Miller) Bittner. He was 88. He is survived by his wife, Mary Ellen (Lawyer) Bittner.

Dick graduated from Thurmont High School in 1954. After serving in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1959, he attended DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago, Illinois for two years, receiving an associate degree in engineering. 

He was employed at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory from 1959 to 1976, attending night school at Johns Hopkins University. He received a Bachelor of Science in engineering degree (with honors) in 1969, and a Master of Science in engineering degree in 1974 from the university. He worked in biomedical research at Johns Hopkins for 17 years. While there, he obtained a patent on an electronic nerve cell.

Dick was an associate real estate broker for Mackintosh Inc. Realtors from 1976-2010, specializing in marketing and advertising of farms, lots, and land. In 1991, he moved to Strawberry Hill where he returned to his farming roots. From 1997 to the present, he was employed as the manager of Fox Haven Organic Farm (FHOF) in Jefferson, Maryland. The purpose being to observe the ‘voices’ of the land and to develop natural living systems to be demonstrated, experienced, and shared with others at Fox Haven. In 2009, he helped plant 18,000 trees on 36 acres of the farm. Over the next 15 years, he continued to plant thousands more trees on the 650-acre farm, completing his final tree project in 2023.

Active in the agricultural community, he served on the following boards and committees: Frederick County Farm Bureau, Frederick County Agriculture Land Preservation, Frederick County Agricultural Business Council, Maryland State Farm Bureau, Wildlife, and others. 

Wherever he was, he was involved in his community. Dick served various positions with parent teacher associations in Howard and Frederick counties as well as several church boards and committees. He was past president of the Jermae Estates Homeowners Association where he lived. In 1976 as chairman of the Howard County Republican Central Committee, he received the first annual Charles Carroll Award at the State Convention in Ocean City, Maryland. 

When Dick wasn’t working, he and Mary Ellen would browse antique shows and auctions in search of Nippon porcelain, which they collected. Other hobbies were golfing, organic gardening, fishing, hunting and he was an avid photographer. His greatest joy was his family. He was a regular attendee of Uniontown Bible Church in Union Bridge, Maryland.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are one daughter Ellen Williams (Terry) and two sons, David Bittner (Jennifer), and Thaddeus Bittner (Missy). Also surviving are grandchildren, Andrew (Amanda), Ryan (Katie), and Megan (Cody) Williams; Riley, Tate, and Beti Bittner; and Bridget, and Dakota (Brittany)Bittner. Surviving great-grandchildren are Brayden, Sadie, and Jase Williams; Payton and Henry Williams; and Taytum and Reid Lederer. Mr. Bittner is also survived by two sisters, Alice Bittner McCleaf, Waynesboro and Joan Bittner Fry, and a brother, James G. Bittner, Sabillasville. 

In addition to his parents, a sister, Barbara Bittner Abraham, a sister-in-law, Cheryl Burrier Bittner, two brothers-in law, Donald G. McCleaf and Robert W. Abraham, Sr., and a cousin, Bill Messner, who resided with the Bittner family, preceded Mr. Bittner in death.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 and 12-1 pm on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at Stauffer Funeral Homes, P.A. (Thurmont), 104 East Main Street in Thurmont, MD.

A funeral service will take place at 1 pm on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at Stauffer Funeral Home, Thurmont. Pastor Frank Taylor will be officiating. Interment will be at Blue Ridge Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to a Frederick Co. Agriculture charity of your choice.