HAROLD A. PARICHAN

Harold A Parichan was born on November 23 1923, in Reedley, CA, to Jack and Roxy Parichan, and passed quietly and peacefully on December 30 2015. At the age of three, he contracted Polio. He spent two years at the Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. During that two years, they performed many experimental surgeries, including removal of his ankle, splitting tendons and chords as well as moving his muscle around. He loved his schools in Reedley, CA, both elementary and high school. He used braces and crutches to assist himself in standing. He completed high school in three years instead of four. However, Reedley High School would not let him graduate at the end of the three years. He had to wait until the fourth year. However, they did let him take one year of classes at Reedley Jr. College, which gave him one year of his college pre-requisites. He was on the debate team at Reedley High School and seemed destined for his later profession, as he was quite the debater. Harold attended University of California, Los Angeles for one semester. Some of his classes were on the third floor and with no elevator, it proved to be quite a task to get up and down stairs, so he transferred to University of California, Berkeley, where he took 28 units in one semester. Some of the units were advised studies by correspondence, but 18 of the units were for regularly attended classes. The young men were anxious to get out of college and serve their country, but to his dismay he was classified 4F. He went to business school instead. Harold went to work at Roman Wine Company for one year where he worked for the President of the company. He studied every chance he could because his ultimate goal was to go to Harvard Law School. He was admitted to Harvard Law School where he stayed for four months, but ultimately had to leave because the ice and snow proved to be challenging, so the Dean of Admissions at Harvard, because he was a student in good standing, assisted him with the transfer to Stanford Law School. He finished law school in two years by going constantly without any summer breaks. He opened his own Law Office in downtown Fresno. From there he formed a Law Corporation with Ima Jean Harvey, Charles Renberg, Richard Crossman and Senator John Krebs. He was a prominent Product Liability Defense Attorney for Ford Motor Company, International Harvester, later known as Navistar, Smith & Wesson, Honda, General Motors, Sturm Ruger, Nissan and Clark Equipment Company. He was a Member of the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Opera, McCallum Theatre of Performing Arts, Valley Children's Hospital, The Vintage Club, The Vintage Club Master's Association, Trustee of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Mt. St. Mary's College in Los Angeles, San Joaquin College of Law, Board of Visitors of Stanford Law School and Desert Publications. He was a long standing Member of The Vintage Club, Indian Wells, CA, Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, CA, The Pacific-Union Club, San Francisco, CA, and San Joaquin Country Club, Fresno, CA. The highlight of his life was his marriage of almost 70 years to Edna Elizabeth Schramm Parichan. As he always said, without Edna, I would never have been able to accomplish what I did in my lifetime. He is survived by his three children, Rod Parichan, Sue Parichan Habild and her husband Siegfried Habild and Tim Parichan and his wife Carol Parichan. In addition to his three children, he is also survived by six grandchildren, Tracy Parichan Hansen, Brooke Parichan, Reid R Parichan and wife Stephanie, Christian Parichan Hansen, Stephanie Parichan Davis and husband Trevor, and Joshua Parichan; and three great-grandchildren, Cole Christian Hansen, Bennett Davis and Jackson Davis. He was unanimously proud of his three children and all of their accomplishments. He wanted to thank four people he felt contributed to his success, his wife Edna; his mother and father, Jack and Roxy; and Joanna Spence, who was invaluable to him. A special thank you to Adrian Ivan and Juan Valdez for their invaluable service in caring for Mr. Parichan. A Celebration of Life for Harold Parichan will be held at the San Joaquin Country Club, on Tuesday, January 5, 2016, at 12:00 noon. The family hopes you will come and join in sharing your remembrances of Harold. In lieu of flowers, The family has suggested that those who wish to donate in his memory make a donation to their favorite charity.