A Queen Village Treasure: Harry Azoff

By Marc Holmes, III

For many of us, individual significant accomplishments in life end at retirement. Our work careers over, we look to the remaining days as our time. No more nine-to-five workdays. Our vacation time extends to months and years. Retirement is a time for leisure. For others, the drumbeat of life intensifies even after formal work-life ends. Harry Azoff is in the latter category. A World War II wounded veteran, Harry, at 93, co-wrote a play – “Hospicetality” – which was performed at Pennsylvania Hospital; he regularly hosts gatherings of neighbors at music performances. Harry on the harmonica joins his guitar-playing music therapist. Notably, whatever he does and however many friends he has, Harry lives an independent life as a widower.

If Queen Village had a mayor, it would have to be Harry Azoff. He has lived in Queen Village since 1978. Harry moved here with his wife Hilda, from a Philadelphia suburb, initially settling in Society Hill Towers. Given the option of buying their unit when the Towers changed from rentals to condominiums, Harry and Hilda opted for single-family home ownership. As Harry tells the story, it was as simple as taking a walk in Queen Village. He and Hilda spotted a house for sale that needed a lot of work, but would eventually meet their needs.

With their two sons away at college, Hilda and Harry decided this was a project they could accomplish. They went at it full bore – which meant investing their entire savings in their new home. Harry’s work as a jeweler in a shop on Philadelphia’s Jewelers’ Row and the effort needed to renovate their new home meant long workdays and work weekends for both Harry and Hilda. Finally, with renovations complete Hilda and Harry settled into the drumbeat of life in Queen Village.

Hilda and Harry shared a love for music and theater. A yearly trip to New York City to take in the latest Broadway hit, such as “The Most Happy Fella” by Frank Loesser — Harry’s favorite musical because of its infectious and witty music — was essential.

Harry developed a love for music as a child. He often entertains neighbors in his living room.

Photo by Marc Holmes III

According to Harry, a piano was a necessary fixture in their household. He readily credits Hilda as being the much better pianist, who could look at a song’s sheet music and play it flawlessly the first time. Harry’s musical talent was on the harmonica. His love for it began at age nine, when he saw his sister’s boyfriend play a harmonica while courting her. Harry asked his mother for one. His mother agreed to pay half the $9.50 cost if Harry would earn the rest. Today, that same harmonica costs about $500. From the $2.00 he earned weekly for delivering laundry to college students, Harry gave $1.00 to his mother for the harmonica. A lesson learned from this, that Harry still lives by, is to save from your earnings towards your future wants.

Harry Azoff, a self-taught artist, poses in front of one of his stained glass creations.

Photo by Judith McCarthy

Besides his musical talents, Harry has created stained glass works of art that adorn his house. He is a self-taught artist – who was inspired to do stained glass when he saw a class practicing and thought it was something he would enjoy. He recently gave his tools to his only grandson, who has decided to learn the craft and now consults with Harry for advice. For a change of pace from doing stained glass, Harry took up oil painting. Prominent among the many portraits of Harry’s is one of his mother-in-law and one of his late wife Hilda.

Harry often expresses a desire to have a dog. But aware of his limitations at age 93, he settles for greeting dogs and their owners as they pass by his house. It is no accident that Harry is much beloved by his many friends and neighbors here in Queen Village. A recent standing-room only performance at Philadelphia Java House, with Harry joining his former music therapist Molly Hicks his and current music therapist Jenny Borgwardt, was testimony to the love and esteem his friends feel for Harry Azoff, a Queen Village treasure.

28 July / August 2018