IRENE HARMON

Irene Harmon
Nov. 3, 1913 - Aug. 18, 2012
Irene Harmon was born Irene Marie Christensen in Englewood, Colorado and raised by her maternal grandmother on a farm in Ottawa, Illinois. She moved with her father to California in 1929 and graduated from Burlingame High School in 1931 with a life membership in the California Scholastic Federation. Soon after graduation she met the love of her life, Granville Harmon; they were married in 1935 and spent over 41 happy years together until his death in 1977. She was particularly proud of having designed and built the long-time family home on Sonora Drive in San Mateo and was a resident of San Mateo for 62 years prior to moving to Sacramento in 2003.
Irene became especially fond of Granville's sister and brother-in-law and their children and families in Southern California. For many years, the families exchanged regular visits and remained close throughout their lives.
Irene worked for 28 years at the San Mateo Times in various administrative positions, eventually retiring in 1981 as Office Manager. While at the Times she was active in various credit groups, including serving two terms as President of the San Mateo County Association of Credit Women International; she served as a Director and Secretary of the Boys Club of San Mateo County; and she received an Associate Degree in Business Administration from the College of San Mateo. She had many friends among the Times' family, and continued to socialize with them long after she retired.
Irene loved to travel and was an avid reader and a fan of all sports - she especially followed the Giants and 49ers. For more than 50 years, she played golf and was proud of the three holes-in-one she made during that time. She loved the game and played well into her 90s - almost always walking with her clubs on a pull cart. She had many good friends in the game, and especially enjoyed her association with the Short Course, Meadowlarks and Emerald Hills ladies' groups. Some of her favorite memories were of golfing trips made with her friends to Hawaii and other destinations.
While she enjoyed going out to eat with friends and family, Irene had a long-term aversion to Chinese or other Asian foods caused by an unfortunate comment from a family friend during her teenage years alluding to purported use of dogs in these cuisines. Fortunately, this aversion was not passed on to other members of her family.
Irene is survived by her son Gary and daughter-in-law Helen; her daughter Gayle "Sunny" Mills; her grandchildren Heather Cochran, Clayton Mills, and Eric and Kurt Gish; and four great-grandsons. She requested that there be no formal service. Her favorite charities were the Sacramento SPCA and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.