Obituary for Robert Albert Harville
Robert Albert Harville
Robert “Bob” Harville passed away peacefully May 3, 2023 in La Mesa, CA from complications following hip surgery. He lived a full and eventful life for 93 years and made good friends wherever he went. We will all miss his smile, good humor, hugs, and excellent, well-told stories based on his memories.
Bob was born in Roswell, NM to Aril Anderson Harville and Dorothy Christophene Harville on January 8, 1930. When he was 11 days old, the family returned to Texas where Bob lived for the next 16 years. At that time, with his Father’s reluctant approval, he enlisted in the U.S Navy as a Photographer which led to 30 years of adventures, important and interesting work, unusual duty stations including combat zones, ships, good shipmates and many great memories. In addition to his Photo classification which included Combat Camera duties, he was also a member of the U.S Navy Test Parachute Team with 204 test jumps and was Distinguished in Pistol with the U.S. Navy Shooting Team. During his military service, Bob rose to the rank of Lieutenant and retired as a CWO-4.
The Navy eventually led him to the base at NAS El Centro. He met his future wife, Verdie Tunstall, in El Centro and they spent the next 72 years enjoying military life and travels together which included duty stations in Japan, Guam, the Philippines, Naples, Italy, California and Florida. Their three daughters, Alice Howard (Len), Laura Hickle (Art) and Martha Harville were always ready to see what adventures and future friends were waiting for them at the next duty station.
After his military retirement, Bob spent many years working as a multiple-state supervisor for the one-hour photo company, Noritsu America, and then as an executive at Lottery Enterprises. After full retirement he was able to devote more time to his hobbies of faceting stones and casting jewelry, attending auto-biography classes, reading, touring and cruising Asia and Europe with Verdie, camping with their 11-W friends, and spending more time with their Grandchildren Phillip Howard (Faith), Andrew Howard (Jill), Emily Howard Kang (Hoon), Jason Hickle (Michelle), Colin Hickle (Ericka), Adrienne Hickle Strickland (Mike) and their eleven Great-Grandchildren.
There will be a Memorial Service for Bob on May 22, 2023 beginning at 9:45 a.m. at the Erickson–Anderson Mortuary, 8390 Allison Ave, La Mesa , CA.
Also on May 22, 2023 there will be a Military Honors Ceremony for Bob at Miramar National Cemetery with an arrival time of 1:45 p.m. for the 2:15 Ceremony.
Robert “Bob” Harville passed away peacefully May 3, 2023 in La Mesa, CA from complications following hip surgery. He lived a full and eventful life for 93 years and made good friends wherever he went. We will all miss his smile, good humor, hugs, and excellent, well-told stories based on his memories.
Bob was born in Roswell, NM to Aril Anderson Harville and Dorothy Christophene Harville on January 8, 1930. When he was 11 days old, the family returned to Texas where Bob lived for the next 16 years. At that time, with his Father’s reluctant approval, he enlisted in the U.S Navy as a Photographer which led to 30 years of adventures, important and interesting work, unusual duty stations including combat zones, ships, good shipmates and many great memories. In addition to his Photo classification which included Combat Camera duties, he was also a member of the U.S Navy Test Parachute Team with 204 test jumps and was Distinguished in Pistol with the U.S. Navy Shooting Team. During his military service, Bob rose to the rank of Lieutenant and retired as a CWO-4.
The Navy eventually led him to the base at NAS El Centro. He met his future wife, Verdie Tunstall, in El Centro and they spent the next 72 years enjoying military life and travels together which included duty stations in Japan, Guam, the Philippines, Naples, Italy, California and Florida. Their three daughters, Alice Howard (Len), Laura Hickle (Art) and Martha Harville were always ready to see what adventures and future friends were waiting for them at the next duty station.
After his military retirement, Bob spent many years working as a multiple-state supervisor for the one-hour photo company, Noritsu America, and then as an executive at Lottery Enterprises. After full retirement he was able to devote more time to his hobbies of faceting stones and casting jewelry, attending auto-biography classes, reading, touring and cruising Asia and Europe with Verdie, camping with their 11-W friends, and spending more time with their Grandchildren Phillip Howard (Faith), Andrew Howard (Jill), Emily Howard Kang (Hoon), Jason Hickle (Michelle), Colin Hickle (Ericka), Adrienne Hickle Strickland (Mike) and their eleven Great-Grandchildren.
There will be a Memorial Service for Bob on May 22, 2023 beginning at 9:45 a.m. at the Erickson–Anderson Mortuary, 8390 Allison Ave, La Mesa , CA.
Also on May 22, 2023 there will be a Military Honors Ceremony for Bob at Miramar National Cemetery with an arrival time of 1:45 p.m. for the 2:15 Ceremony.