Harold Sandy Vitale

Born September 23, 1933 in Salt Lake City, Utah to parents Sandy Chris Vitale and Ruby Louise Davis Vitale

After High School joined the Naval Reserve and then active duty in the Navy for two years, 1953 – 1955. Most of the time he was stationed on the USS Erben. The home port was San Diego but sea duty was in the western pacific. Almost all of that time the ship was at sea, but did go into ports in Japan, the Philippine Islands and the deserted island of Midway.

Roberta and Harold were married August 31, 1956.

Went to University of Utah and received a BSEE in 1959. Graduated with honors and received Tau Beta Pi and Eta Kappy Nu honorary engineering awards.

Had a great job as an electrical engineer with General Electric after graduating. Was on a three year program GE called " Advanced Engineering Course". The last 2 years of the course were in Syracuse New York.

Interviewed within GE for a permanent job after completing the engineering course and we ended up in Palo Alto, CA right next door to Stanford University.

GE sponsored Harold on the Stanford Co Op program and he earned a Masters Degree in EE while working. It was during this period of time that they were blessed with two sons, Bill first and then John.

After 6 years at GE was transferred to Phoenix Arizona. That move lasted about 2 months as GE said the job would be moved to Oklahoma, OK. That didn' sound good so contacted some friends at Fairchild Semiconductor and moved back to Cupertino California. At this time semiconductors were making rapid advances and Fairchild was leading the way so the work and environment was very exciting.

Had a project to design and build a computer controlled system for testing the newest generation of semiconductors, LSI. At Fairchild the little tester project evolved to a major product that was widely sold and used wherever LSI was being manufactured. That meant customers in Japan as well as in Silicon Valley and other cities in the US.

Roberta and Harold moved to Los Gatos CA in 1974.

In 1983, Harold and seven of his colleagues finally built-up confidence, courage and started our own company named Trillium. It was quite successful as Intel made a decision to use that product to test all of their Pentium micro computer chips. That product was the basis for over one half billion dollars of sales. Trillium was sold in a stock exchange to a company by the name of LTX. Harold submitted and was awarded one patent during this phase of his career that finished up in 1995.

In 1996 he went to work for a company named Credence until retirement.

Harold is quoted as saying "I have learned that my family comes first, then my spirituality and somewhere after that my work.

Spiritually I have really enjoyed and been blessed by many callings in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I have everything I need and could hope for. This includes a great wife, two really great sons, three grandsons and all of my relatives and friends."

Survived by:

Child: Bill Vitale, Grandchildren: Riley Vitale, Miles Vitale

Grandchild: Tyler Vitale

Preceded in Death: Roberta Vitale (wife), John Vitale (son)

In Lieu of Flowers Please Donate to your local Hospice or your favorite charity.