Roy Arthur Haarman

Roy A. Haarman, 78, of Hamilton 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.  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.

Roy was born April 6, 1938 in New York City to George A. and Lillian A. (Sautter) Haarmann.   His early school years were in New York and Los Angeles before graduating from high school at South High in Denver, Colorado in 1955.  He joined the US 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.   In 1986-1991 he served as leader of the Facilities Engineering Division, responsible for construction and maintenance of all facilities at Los Alamos.  In 1991-1993, 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 1993-1995 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. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, his baby granddaughter Sienna Haarmann in 1994, and his daughter Cindy Haarmann Bingham in 2007.  He is survived by his wife Kathy Haarman of Hamilton, daughter April Haarman (Fred) of Pleasanton, CA, son Timothy (Laura) Haarmann of Pagosa Springs, CO, step-daughter Janine (Jason) Kowalski of Florence, MT,  step-son Paul (Courtney) Kalstad of Rohnert Park, CA;  sister Lillian Warner of Bennett, CO, sister Lorraine Towell of Haven, KS, brother George Haarmann of Mesa, AZ, half-brother Johnny (Roxanna) Smith of Rockwall, TX; niece Janie (Keith) Rohrig of Aurora, CO, niece Kelly (Al) Wayrynen of Hutchison, KS, nephew Jeff (Donna) Towell of Haven, KS; grandchildren, Scott (Tara) Bingham, Sean Bingham, Sage, Noah and Isabelle Haarmann, 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.

Roy’s family is thankful for the care he was given at the Remington Memory Lane of the Sapphire Lutheran Homes in Hamilton for two years, and the loving care as he neared the end of life at the Edgewood Vista in Missoula for two months, along with the wonderful Missoula Hospice team.   

A memorial service is being held at Grace Lutheran Church in Hamilton at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16.  Interment will be at Riverview Cemetery with military honors presented by the U.S. Army and the Hamilton American Legion.

The family suggests memorials be given for Alzheimer’s Research.