Harry P. Begier Jr., born June 7, 1937, in Dunkirk, New York, to Harry P. Begier Sr. and Casamina Mancuso Begier, passed away on April 2, 2026, in Haverford, Pennsylvania.

Harry grew up in Dunkirk, a small town on Lake Erie in upstate New York, and attended Dunkirk Senior High School. He went on to attend Princeton University, participating in R.O.T.C there, and graduated with an A.B. in Philosophy in 1959.  He married Marie Priscilla Witzman of Titusville, New Jersey in June of that year in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania. He began his career working for U.S. Steel and served in the US Army in stateside position in Delaware, before attending the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1964.

Following law school, Harry worked for the CIA. He later returned to Philadelphia at the invitation of Steven Cozen, his law school classmate, to practice with Steve and his uncle, Sidney Orlofsky, a respected insurance litigator. Harry joined the law firm initially known as Orlofsky, Cozen & Begier (later known for many years as Cozen, Begier, and O'Conner). The firm opened its doors in 1970 and soon handled many notable cases. As well as actively practicing law with a focus on arson-related cases, Harry served as the firm's Chief Financial Officer.

Harry was also active as an attorney for the Republican Party in Philadelphia and participated multiple cases brought before the Pennsylvania Supreme court, including the "Interim Tax Case" which successfully challenged the right of the City and School Board to levy taxes in the middle of the budget year under the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter.  In 1971, he successfully sued to confirm the Register of Wills of Philadelphia as an independent office under the Home Rule Charter and later became its Solicitor. In 1978, he brought a suit in which the Supreme Court held that under the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, School District employees working in the Board of Revision of Taxes remained employees of the School District while working there. Harry had a great interest in public policy and frequently had letters to the editor published in Philadelphia Inquirer.

Another highlight of his long career was presenting oral arguments at the United States Supreme Court, while serving as a bankruptcy trustee for American International Airlines (Begier v. Internal Revenue Service, 496 U.S. 53). In 1990, the Supreme Court determined that pre-petition payments of trust-fund taxes are not part of the debtor's estate, which continues to be a frequently cited piece of case law.  After leaving the firm, he continued practicing law independently for many years representing clients in their legal disputes with insurance companies, working until just a few years prior to his death. He also served as a Trustee of Temple University.

Harry and Priscilla raised their family in Wynnewood, Overbrook, and later Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He is survived by his children: John Bennett Begier (Nancy Begier), Elizabeth "Beth" Begier (Paul Conroy), Anne Begier Van Eijk, and Lynne Begier Fog (Duncan Fog); and his grandchildren: Catherine Begier, Peter Van Eijk, Henry Van Eijk, Grayson Begier, Chloe Conroy, Christopher Begier, Cole Conroy, Tara Conroy, and Carolyn Jacobus.

Harry was known as a firecracker and a brilliant mind in both his professional and personal life. He lived fully and will be remembered for his love of travel and good food, his instinct to argue a case to the very end, and his enjoyment of a good cigar wherever he was.

A private family burial was held at Calvary Cemetery in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania on April 8,2026.