Henry W. Hitner Jr.

Henry W. Hitner PhD, age 85, of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, passed away on August 20, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of intellect, humor, and heartfelt devotion to family. Henry was born in Bethlehem, PA. to the late Henry and Helen (Urban) Hitner. He served honorably in the United States Navy before dedicating his life to academia as a respected professor. His passion for science and education touched countless students and colleagues, and his contributions as an author helped shape the field he loved so deeply. A first-generation college graduate, Henry earned a B.S. in Biology from Moravian College and later a M.Ed. in Biology from West Chester University. He completed his PhD in Pharmacology at Hahnemann Medical College (Philadelphia) before embarking on a new career that bridged industry and academia. In the early years he worked as a toxicology research assistant at Wyeth Laboratories and as a research pharmacologist at National Drug Company in Philadelphia. Henry joined the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) where he spent three decades teaching and conducting research, ultimately serving as Professor and Vice Chair of the department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology. Over the years, Henry received the Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching and a Mentor Award from the National Student Association. Beyond Campus, Henry reached countless learners as lead author of the textbook Pharmacology: An Introduction. This was a standard reference in many allied health and medical programs. Hank was an avid reader who loved the beach, traveling, gardening, Penn State football and playing the trumpet. However, Hank’s greatest joy was spending time with family and friends. At any gathering you could find him entertaining kids with his impressive Donald Duck impressions. Henry is survived by his wife, Carlotta (Cardamone) Hitner; children, Lisa (Todd) Peterman, Daniel (Julianne) Hitner, Michelle (William) Anderson and Carlotta (Jeffrey) Myers; cherished grandchildren, Catherine, Casey, Reese, William, Madison, Bailey, Nicholas, Patrick and Megan; sister, Susan Baker. Visitation: Sunday, September 14th 2:00 pm at Kovacs Lombardo Funeral Home 530 W. Woodland Avenue Springfield Service: Sunday, September 14th 3:00 pm at Kovacs Lombardo Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at https://alzfdn.org/ Interment: Private Condolences: www.lombardofuneralhomes.com

Henry W. Hitner Jr.

October 9, 1939 - August 20, 2025