Harold Sommers, a decorated World War II veteran and veteran Democratic Party activist known for his bluntness and unwavering commitment to those he befriended, died of cancer this morning, his family said.

He was 85.

Sommers, of 64 Prospect St., had been in the care of Hospice of Lancaster County since Thursday. He was diagnosed and treated for lung cancer three years ago, and appeared to have been doing well until six weeks ago, Mitch Sommers, his son, said.

"My dad was the ultimate straight-shooter," he said. "He was a classic example of what you see is what you get. He was direct. He was blunt. But he had a great sense of humor."

Sommers is a veteran of both the military and city politics. He earned five Bronze Stars and numerous other medals in D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, and he once told a writer that he hit Utah Beach thinking, "Hitler, you s.o.b., I'm coming for you."

A native of Braddock, he was a former organizer for the mine workers union who relocated to Lancaster in 1960. Here, he tried to unseat an entrenched Republican, Marv Miller, from the state House.

He ran for city treasurer and won in 1989, and served in the Democratic administration of then-Mayor Janice Stork. Sommers gained a reputation as a maverick of sorts when he clashed with the mayor and accused her administration of practicing "financial sleight of hand" with its capital budget.

Later, after running unsuccessfully for city controller, he ruffled some feathers within his party for his open support of Republican Charlie Smithgall, the pharmacist who served two terms as Lancaster mayor.

Smithgall remembered Sommers as a "good guy. A very good person."

"He loved the city, and he did everything he could. He and I — even though we had different political opinions — agreed on the direction the city should go," Smithgall said. "I can't say enough good about him."

Up until recently, Sommers continued to serve as a Democratic committeeman in the 8th Ward, an elected position he held for more than 20 years. But he did not let his party affiliation interfere with his duties at the candidates forum he dreamed up.

Sommers is well known for organizing the annual meet-the-candidates night, held every year since 1996, most recently at the AMVETS post on Fairview Avenue. The event has become a staple of the local scene.

Sommers is survived by his son, Mitch, of Manheim Township. He was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria, who died in 1997.


Staff writer Tom Murse can be reached at tmurse@LNPnews.com or 481-6021.