Richard (Dick) Dale Harmon

Richard (Dick) Dale Harmon, 89, of Thousand Oaks, California, passed away after a long rich life.

Dick was born on March 21, 1935, in Youngstown, Ohio to parents Philip and Berth Harmon. At Boardman High, he met his high school sweetheart Dorothy (Susie) Ann Kelly in the marching band. They married on February 3, 1956, soon after graduation and remained married until Susie’s passing on October 8, 2023. During their 67 years of marriage, they had three boys – Douglas (Doug), Randall (Randy), and Robert (Robbie).

Dick attended Cincinnati University prior to the move to California in 1956, then continued his education at El Camino College. They lived in Hawthorne and later in Van Nuys. His career was in the aerospace industry as a mechanical engineer at Litton Data Systems, then at Teledyne Electronics.

Dick and Susie moved from Van Nuys to Thousand Oaks in 1963 where they built a great community of friends and pursued meaningful hobbies. Dick launched his love of all things automobiles as he purchased his first Alfa Romeo, and as a Alfa club member, soon began racing slaloms and time trials up and down California. In addition, he was on the flagging team for the Cal Club and participated for over 35 years at the Long Beach Grand Prix with his wife and sons watching all the way.

As the years passed, Dick took up woodworking with his pals at the Conejo Valley Woodworkers club and created many a impressive piece. The house was filled with music from classical to marching bands and as his collection grew Dick worked diligently for years on his study of genealogy. He was awarded the Conejo Valley Genealogical Society (CVGS) Helen Crise Award in 2014 for outstanding contributions to the society. Dick was also active in the Wednesday Goebel Genealogy Group in Thousand Oaks.

The heart of his life was his family. With Susie by his side, their lives wove in and around their three sons and grandchildren, who will miss him dearly. Dick is survived by his children Douglas, Randall and his wife Kathie, Robert and his wife Betsey, and three grandchildren, Talor, Blake, and Courtney.