He was also recognised for establishing the Tolley Rotary Trust, in which he invested $100,000 to provide an income for young people looking to study further in their chosen field.
Mr Tolley was also an amateur radio enthusiast, according to close friend and former neighbour Stan Mangin.
After leaving school, he secured a job as a Post Office engineer before he went to Army training in Trentham before World War II.
Mr Tolley was then commissioned by the Government to design and build a radio for the New Zealand armed forces, and with the help of two others he built the Mk1, Mk2, Mk3 and ZC1 radios.
These were used through the South Pacific Islands during the war for reporting to Australia on enemy shipping and plane movements.
He told Mr Mangin he was "decorated" twice in the Army and he retired as a colonel.
Mr Tolley then formed Tolley Industries, which produced power transformers and still exists, although it is owned by an overseas company.
He was also a keen gardener, which is evident from his collection of photo albums as well as the small garden he kept in the village.
He was the much-loved husband of the late Eila, and had many nieces and nephews.
Mr Mangin said he was very fortunate and privileged to have known Mr Tolley.
"Even after Harry returned to Masterton we kept up enjoyable phone calls every day as well as weekly visits to go shopping and out to lunch," he said.
"[My wife] Nola and myself give thanks for having the fortune to have shared time with this very special person."
