Altamont~
Harold "Harry" Lewis Orelup passed away at the age of 75 on May 15, 2018 at his home in the town of Knox following a long illness. Harold was born June 6, 1942 in Tribes Hill, New York to Harold Willis and Helen Elizabeth (Lewis) Orelup. He is survived by his wife of nearly 51 years, Billiejune (Stomski); their four children; Deborah (Sherwood Veith), Samantha (Joerg Mueller), Andrew (Michelle Tonello), and Alicia; four grandchildren; Joshua (Trista Colton), Rachel (Jeff Gillan), Olivia, and Oskar; two great-granddaughters; Ava and Harper; a sister; Valerie Orelup; as well as multiple nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his sister, Vivian (Chestnut).
Harold spent nearly all of his working life in some form of law enforcement, including security at NYPA, SPAC, and the Altamont fair. After graduating from the Police Academy, he worked for the Albany County Sheriff's Department as a Deputy working his way up to Sergeant, the Dept. of Corrections as a corrections officer, the Albany County Probation Dept. as a probation officer, and the Village of Schoharie as its Chief of Police for 32 years until retirement. While law enforcement was his occupation, he was an excellent mechanic and all-around handy man.
He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, attending the Schoharie Valley Ward in Central Bridge, NY since the late 1960s.
Harold had a passion for reading, fast cars, guns, and dogs, having loved several Dobermans and German Shepherds over the years. He had a black belt in karate. He was proud of his Scottish heritage and enjoyed researching his family history. Of many distinctive life moments, one stood out for its uniqueness. During a security job at SPAC, he had an opportunity to "play" with the Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra when he shot a rifle into a drum during the finale of the William Tell Overture.
Services will take place on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Schoharie Valley Ward, 141 Church Street, Central Bridge, New York. Calling hours will be held 1:30-3:30pm; with a funeral from 3:30-4:30pm, followed by a reception from 4:30-5:30pm. Interment will take place on Monday May 21st, at 11AM in Prospect Hill Cemetery, 2167 Route 20, (Western Avenue) Guilderland.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Hudson Mohawk Humane Society 3 Oakland Ave, Menands, NY 12204.
To leave a special message for the family, please visit the guestbook below above.