Harvey Jesse Friedland
June 17, 1922-March 3, 2016
Menlo Park, California
Submitted by David Friedland

Harvey Jesse Friedland, of Menlo Park, passed away on March 3, 2016 at the grand age of 93 to the sorrow of his family and friends.

He was born in Milwaukee, one of three children. He grew up in Milwaukee and attended the University of Wisconsin, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After meeting and marrying Charlene Feingold of Chicago and serving in the U.S. Army during WWII, Harvey, with his growing family, moved to Chicago and then to Fort Walton Beach, where he designed aerospace components as part of Chicago Midway Laboratories.

Among thousands of others in the late 1950s, Harvey was part of the developing aerospace community transforming Santa Clara County and settled in Palo Alto. He began a 30-year career at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company in Sunnyvale and was part of teams developing the Poseidon and Trident missile systems, eventually rising to senior management positions in quality control, organizational planning, and logistics. And for many years at Lockheed, Harvey was part of a legendary daily lunchtime cribbage game.

Harvey and his family were founding members of Congregation Beth Am, where he was instrumental in building a new Jewish community and temple facilities in Los Altos Hills.

At Beth Am, Harvey also rediscovered his love of acting and singing, started a theater group there and starred in several temple productions, as well as becoming a stalwart member of the temple choir. He was an original cast member of the Los Altos Conservatory Theater, starring in dozens of productions over many years -- mostly raucous comedies and musicals -- to the delight of the community.

Harvey fell in love with and married Barbara Doolin in 1984. Together, they had a wonderful marriage and life that included traveling around the world and spending time with their combined and expanding extended family.

After retiring, Harvey was very active as a volunteer in the community, including work at the Service League of San Mateo County, where he counseled jail inmates on re-entry into the community; the Blood Bank of Palo Alto (where he was also a 10-gallon blood donor); the Volunteer Bureau of San Mateo County; and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, as well as his special love: reading stories to children in the Redwood City Schools.

Harvey also served as president of homeowner associations in Redwood City and Sharon Park.

Harvey is survived by his loving wife Barbara Friedland, children Steven Friedland, Karen Friedland-Brown, Nancy Friedland and David Friedland; step-children Anne Davenport, Clare Tynan, David Doolin and Beth Ray; and 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.