READING Francis R. Huttinger, 80, formerly of New Oxford, passed away on Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at St. Joseph Medical Center. In February 2015, he married Janie L. Zimmer, who survives him. Francis was born in Pittsburgh, on March 1, 1935, the son of the late Raymond and Marie (Heilman) Huttinger. Francis has a BA in Philosophy and an MA in Religious Education from Capuchin College, Washington, D.C., and an MA in English from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Francis served the Church and the Lord as a member of the Capuchin Franciscan religious order from 1955 to 1986, and as a Catholic priest was known as Father Herman Joseph. During that time Francis taught English at St. Fidelis Seminary High School in Herman, Pa., and was the school's registrar, then vice principal. Francis also developed and ran the school's television station WSFS-TV, and taught classes in TV production at Slippery Rock State University. He served as assistant pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Herman; served as Pastor of St. Mary's Parish in West Winfield; was the Vicar of St. Mary's Friary, Herman; was a major coordinator and presenter of Catholic Marriage Encounter retreats; and became Assistant Pastor of SS Peter & Paul Church, Cumberland, Md. Francis received a dispensation from his priestly duties from the Vatican and returned to the laity in 1991. Francis later worked as an electronics technician for Becton-Dickinson, Sparks, Md., for over 20 years, where he helped to build and repair medical equipment. Francis, starting at the age of 16, served as the organist in several Catholic churches throughout Pennsylvania. He also composed hymns, several of which are pending publication. Francis was a prolific reader and always had a book or 10 nearby. He had a great love of the outdoors, and as a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, walked hundreds of miles on the Appalachian Trail. Throughout his life, Francis also enjoyed dabbling in electronics, especially short wave radios, and proudly built his first short-wave radio when he was just 10 years old. Francis is also survived by his sister, Marie Bachman of Pittsburgh; Janie's three children. Calvin and Travon Zimmer, both of Reading, and Sanova Stills of Silver Spring, Md.; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Carol Ann (Bush), who died in 2009. Friends are invited to call Tuesday, July 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the John P. Feeney Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Margaret Roman Catholic Church, 925 Centre Ave., Reading, at 12 noon on Wednesday, July 29. Interment will follow at Gethsemane Cemetery, Laureldale. Francis would want family and friends not to mourn his death, but to celebrate the life he shared in Christ. Contributions may be made to Unbound (formerly CFCA) www.unbound.org; or Covenant House, www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-charity/pennsylvania Arrangements are entrusted to the John P. Feeney Funeral Home in Reading's Historic District, 625 N. 4th St. at Centre Ave., Reading, PA 19601. Obituary, directions and condolences at www.johnfeeneyfuneralhome.com