University Times

Retired Pitt French language instructor Harry Charles Goldby died Sept. 26, 2011, at the Church of God Home in Carlisle, Pa. He was 94.

A Pittsburgh native, Goldby was valedictorian of his Clairton High School class and earned both his BA and master’s in law degrees at Pitt. He also held an MA from the French School at Middlebury College and diplomas in French literature and historical and experimental phonetics from the University of Paris. In addition, he studied art history at the Ecole du Louvre, Paris, and piano at the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France.

Goldby’s teaching career locally spanned 19 years at Pitt, 17 years at then-Chatham College, one year at Winchester-Thurston School and six years as visiting instructor at St. Edmund’s Academy. He also taught in five National Defense Education Act summer institutes at Pitt and participated for five years in an elementary school foreign language program in Pittsburgh and Fox Chapel schools.

For several years he was on the staff of the Paris-American Academy in France, teaching French civilization during summer sessions.

In World War II, he served as an Army Air Force intelligence officer in Africa and Europe, and was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service.

He was known as an avid financial supporter of Pittsburgh’s history and its ethnic communities, including the Nationality Rooms programs.

Longtime friend of Goldby’s E. Maxine Bruhns, director of the Nationality Rooms, said, “I felt very close to him. He was an international person who loved France and loved the French people and on some level our program fulfilled some of that. I speak French so he would visit me from time to time and we would talk in French.”

One day Goldby asked Bruhns if the Nationality Rooms had a video about the program. “I said, ‘No, it costs too much — something like $8,000.’ Well, two days later I get this envelope with a check that I thought was for $800, but I looked closer and there was an extra zero,” she said.

More recently, Institutional Advancement was negotiating with Goldby about a legacy annuity gift to the University, Bruhns recalled. “And Harry said ‘I want to leave something for Maxine’s program — $10,000.’ When Harry was told the gift would be realized at the time of his death, he joked, ‘I’d better go out and buy some arsenic!’” Bruhns said. “That was just the kind of warm person he was. We kept in touch long after he moved to Carlisle and he would still come and visit me once in a while. We just had good times together.”

In 2007, Goldby established a fund in his name to support Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation programs.

For many years he served as accompanist in voice studios in Pittsburgh and New York.

Goldby retired to Carlisle in 1983, but continued his musical activities, traveled extensively, conducted tours to Pittsburgh and other sites in western Pennsylvania and presented travelogues to civic organizations and retirement centers in central Pennsylvania.

He is survived by his niece, Kathleen B. Nerangis, and his nephew, Charles Thomas Butler.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bosler Memorial Library, 158 W. High St., Carlisle, Pa. 17013.

—Peter Hart