Harry R. J. Comer
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = Harry R. J. Comer
| state_house = Pennsylvania
| district =178th
| term_start = 1969
| term_end = 1974
| predecessor = District created
| successor =James M. McIntyre
| constituency =
| state_house2 = Pennsylvania
| district2 =Philadelphia County
| term_start2 = 1953
| term_end2 = 1968
| birth_date = {{birth date|1912|1|20}}
| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|3|15|1912|1|20}}
| death_place = Elkins Park, Pennsylvania
| party =Democratic
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| spouse =
| children =
| residence =
| religion =
}}
Harry Robert Joseph Comer (January 20, 1912 – March 15, 1990) was a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = House Members C | publisher = Wilkes University | work = Wilkes University Election Statistics Project| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/C.html}}
Formative years
Harry Robert Joseph Comer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 20, 1912. During World War II, he served as a corporal with the U.S. Army. As an adult, he was employed as an insurance broker and real estate agent."[https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=813&body=H Harry R.J. Comer]" (biography). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online May 15, 2019.
Political career
A Democrat, he was appointed as the chair of Philadelphia's 33rd Ward Democratic Executive Committee. Elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1953, he served 10 consecutive terms, during which time he represented Philadelphia County and was appointed to the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (1963-1966) and the Pennsylvania Commission on Interstate Cooperation (1969-1974)."Harry R.J. Comer," Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
After failing in his run for reelection to the Pennsylvania House for its 1975 term, he served as the legislative liaison for the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1974 to 1978."Harry R.J. Comer," Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Death and interment
Comer died in Elkins Park, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on March 15, 1990, and was interred at the Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem, Bucks County, Pennsylvania.{{Cite news | title = Harry R. J. Comer, 78, legislator for 21 years | work= The Philadelphia Inquirer| date = March 17, 1990 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PI&s_site=philly&p_multi=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB2A022ED7B9B32&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM| quote =Harry R.J. Comer, 78, a flinty former state representative from Kensington who during 21 years in Harrisburg railed against murderers, rapists and reporters, died Thursday at his home in Elkins Park. Mr. Comer was a politician who said what was on his mind. It went over well with his conservative constituents until Mr. Comer ran afoul of another outspoken politician, former Mayor Frank L. Rizzo. Mr. Comer, a Democrat who served as a state representative from 1953 until 1974... }}"Harry R.J. Comer," Pennsylvania House of Representatives.