Roy Arthur Haarman

VETERAN US ARMY Early Life: Roy was born April 6, 1938, in New York City, New York, to George A. and Lillian A. Sautter Haarman. His early school years were in New York and Los Angeles before graduating from high school at South High School in Denver, Colorado, in 1955. Life's Work/Service/Interests: He joined the United States Army and was sent to the Army Language School in Monterey, California, where he learned the Korean language. He took exams and was accepted at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York. He attended the USMA Prep School and was a Cadet at West Point for three years before resigning. He returned to California and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Fresno State University in 1964, then worked for Pacific Gas & Electric in Salinas, California. In 1966, Roy was hired by the University of California at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in New Mexico. His first three years were spent on Project Scyllac, a controlled thermonuclear research project. While working, he attended the Los Alamos Graduate Center and received a Master of Science Degree in Nuclear Engineering from the University of New Mexico in 1970. His career at the Los Alamos Lab included leading the Safety Assessment Group involved in nuclear facility safety and sabotage studies for the NRC. This entailed travel to other countries that were using nuclear power plants. From 1986 to 1991, he served as leader of the Facilities Engineering Division, responsible for construction and maintenance of all facilities at Los Alamos. From 1991 to 1993, he was a leader of the Topaz II Reactor Project in Albuquerque, working on safety assessment of the Russian space powered reactor and comparing Russian and US nuclear safety philosophies. In 1993 to 1995, he managed technical experts giving advice for stabilization and cleanup of Rocky Flats actinide processing buildings near Boulder, Colorado. Roy’s family and his faith were very important to him. He had three children: Cindy, April and Tim, from his first wife, Barbara Lawrence, whom he married in 1960. He had two stepchildren, Janine and Paul, from his second marriage to Kathy in 1994. He was brought up in the Lutheran church and was very strong in his faith, always active and willing to serve in any way needed. When he retired from Los Alamos, he found the beauty and life in the Bitterroot Valley to be perfect and moved to Stevensville in 1998. He enjoyed outdoor activities like hiking, fishing, rafting and boating. He loved visiting family and friends by the beautiful ocean in California as well as hiking a trail up the awesome mountains in Montana. Roy Arthur Haarman, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away early Friday, September 9, 2016, at the Edgewood Vista in Missoula, with his wife at his side. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend who will be greatly missed. He is 78. Family Message: "After his long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease, we are comforted to know he’s at peace in the loving arms of his Lord and Savior." Survived By: His wife, Kathy Haarman; daughter, April Haarman (Fred); son, Timothy (Laura) Haarman; stepdaughter, Janine (Jason) Kowalski; stepson, Paul (Courtney) Kalstad; sister, Lillian Warner; sister, Lorraine Towell; brother, George Haarman; half-brother, Johnny (Roxanna) Smith; niece, Janie (Keith) Rohrig; niece, Kelly (Al) Wayrynen; nephew, Jeff (Donna); grandchildren: Scott (Tara) Bingham, Sean Bingham, Sage, Noah and Isabelle Haarman, Klaja (Nick) Baines, Kurtis Dion, Connor and Megan Kowalski, McKenna and Haylie Kalstad; and four great-grandchildren: Kenna, Athan, Braden and Cameron Bingham; along with many dear cousins. Preceded In Death By: His parents; his daughter, Cindy Haarman Bingham in 2007; and his baby granddaughter, Sienna Haarman in 1994. Services: Grace Lutheran Church Arranged By: Daly-Leach Military Honors: US Army and the Hamilton American Legion Final Rest: Riverview Cemetery Original obituary published by: © Daly-Leach Chapel | September 2016 Bio compiled by: Annie Duckett Hundley