Harold Eitzen

Dr. Hal Eitzen, known by many of his friends and family as "Cowboy Hal", passed away peacefully with his wife of nearly 54 years, Carole, at his bedside. He lived an amazing 89 years and shared his joy for life with everyone who knew him. He is also survived by his sons Eric Eitzen (Melissa) and Steve Eitzen (Becky), his step-son Kurtis Kelley, two grandsons Dr. Ryan Davis and Ethan Kelley, his sister-in-law Linda Eitzen, and many dear cousins.

Hal was born in Hillsboro, Kansas within a community of German Mennonite immigrant farmers and was raised primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico, along with his brother Richard, by his loving parents Ezra and Linda. He graduated from Highland High School in 1954 and eaned his bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico in 1959, before going to work for the Albuquerque Health Department. In 1957, Hal married his high school sweetheart, Lois O' Bannon, and together they raised two sons, Eric and Steve. Several years later, he was afforded the opportunity of going to the University of Michigan, where he earned his M.Ph. (1965) and Ph.D. (1969), having been a part of the school's first doctoral program to train hospital epidemiologists.

In early 1969, having completed the requirements for his doctorate, Hal accepted an offer by NASA at their newly-built Manned Spacecraft Center (now JSC) in Houston. He worked in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory as a Quarantine Control Officer during the Apollo Program and was part of the crew aboard the U.S.S. Hornet in July, 1969 that managed the post-flight quarantine of the Apollo 11 astronauts, as well as the lunar rocks and soil samples they brought back to Earth. The following year, after the near-disaster of the Apollo 13 mission, Hal helped developed the protocols for astronaut crew pre-flight quarantine procedures that are still being used today.

Hal married Carole Walker Kelley in 1972, and they moved to Indianapolis, where he worked for 14 years as the Director of the Department of Infection Control at the Indiana University Medical Center. In 1985, Hal and his colleague Morris French founded the firm Micro Air, Inc., specializing in asbestos, lead, mold, and indoor air quality testing, as well as laboratory analysis. The company is still operating today, as is the firm founded by his son, Eric (Micro Air of Texas, Inc.). Both companies, and the hundreds who have worked for them, are a testament to Hal's lasting legacy.

Hal and Carole moved back to Texas in 1991, and he briefly worked for a NASA contractor, before relocating to Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Hal worked for the State of New Mexico Health Dept. and the N.M. Dept. of OSHA in Santa Fe, as well as for Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque until his retirement in 2009. In 2013, Hal and Carole made their final move back to Houston for health reasons and to be closer to family there.

Following retirement, Hal and Carole hosted a million amazing parties, traveled extensively to visitfriends, and basically lived life "To The Max", playing and singing his favorite classic country/western songs everywhere he went! His kindness, bright blue eyes, and warm smile will be greatly missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. Happy Trails, Cowboy Hal - until we meet again...

A "Celebration of Life" event for Hal will be announced at a later date.