William F. Early

William F. Early, 91, of Lancaster, passed away Friday, February 10, 2012, at Homestead Village. He was the loving husband of Edith (Black) Early. Born in King, West Virginia, he was the son of the late Robert T. and Sue Kiester Hylton Early.

Early was an active Lancaster County artist since 1960 and worked his entire career with Armstrong World Industries’ advertising department.

Mr. Early came to Armstrong upon graduation from Northwestern University in 1941 and, in his 44-year career with the company, held many creative and management positions. As manager of Television and Film Services, he was closely involved with the firm’s television advertising. He also served on the program planning committee for Armstrong Circle Theater during its “heyday” years in the 50’s and 60’s. He headed Armstrong’s development of a corporate video network for its intra-company communication.

He served for several years on the New York panel of judges of the “Clio Awards,” honoring the industry’s outstanding TV commercials.

As a farewell to the Armstrong Advertising and Marketing Services department, Early wrote a history of that department from 1911 to 1994, published in the Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society Vol. 98 in 1996.

An artist, Early served two terms as president of the Lancaster County Art Association and was twice awarded the Association’s Michael M. Engel Award. He was also a president of the Echo Valley Art Group, to which he was elected a member in 1989. He painted extensively, not only in Lancaster but on the coast of Maine and exhibited with the Boothbay Region Foundation.

Locally, his work was exhibited at the Demuth Foundation in a one-artist show, “Mainely Watercolors,” in 1987 and in a three-artist show in 2000. Early’s paintings are included in collections of The Demuth Foundation, the Lancaster Museum of Art and Lebanon Valley College.

Early served as Captain of a Transportation Company that supported combat infantry and artillery in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy. He later returned to Italy with wife Edith to revisit in peacetime the cities, countryside and people that he and the GI’s of his company helped to liberate in war.

Upon retirement from Armstrong in 1985, Early formed his own company, Ad Hoc Creative Services. In that capacity, he wrote and produced a series of educational videotapes for use in the title insurance field, one of them winning a Gold “Cameron Award” from the Lancaster Advertising Club, named for Early’s first employer, Cameron Hawley.

Early served as a Trustee and Elder of Lancaster’s First Presbyterian Church, where he had been a member since 1946. In 1992, he wrote a history of First Presbyterian, which appeared as the first chapter of the church’s 250-year history, 1772-1992 250 Years of Witness.

He and Edith celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last September. He was known for his spontaneous and wry sense of humor, and he adorned his home with his inventive and artistic creations.

In addition to Edith, he is survived by son William Jr., husband of Lois Early of Lancaster; daughter Marti Early, wife of George Wallace of Lancaster; and daughter Caroline Early, wife of Peter Lafen of Silver Spring, MD; 7 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Also surviving is brother Bert H., husband of Elizabeth Early. He was predeceased by brother Robert T. Early, Jr.

A Memorial Service will be held Friday, February 17th at First Presbyterian Church, 140 E. Orange St. Lancaster, PA 17602 at 11:00 A.M. Friends may greet the family at the church from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the First Presbyterian Endowment Fund or to the Demuth Foundation at 120 East King St. Lancaster, PA 17602.