Helen Howard Harmon

Helen Howard Harmon, devoted mother, mother-inlaw, and grandmother, died March 8 of complications from breast cancer. She was born in 1940 to Maria and Hartley Howard of Washington, D.C. The family moved to Hastings-on-Hudson, NY in 1945.

Helen was a graduate of Hastings High School (‘57), attended Swarthmore College, and received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University.

After graduation, Helen moved to Manhattan to take a job with Citibank. There, she met her future husband, Gary Harmon. Gary persuaded her that the “Wild West” of California – his home state – deserved a chance, so in 1965 Helen & Gary married and moved to Silicon Valley. Helen worked as a computer programmer for a subsidiary of IBM before becoming a volunteer, homemaker, and mother.

Helen was an active member of Alpha Phi, AAUW, and the Century Club. She enjoyed spending time with family, taking classes, and going to theater, opera, and the symphony.

She and her late husband traveled to many countries. Highlights include the pyramids of Egypt, the majesty of Persepolis, the wildlife of Kenya, a close encounter with blue-footed boobies in the Galapagos, and being able to email from Easter Island.

She is survived by her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter, Heather, John, and Arya Cochran; and her sisters-in-law Jane Howard and Gayle “Sunny” Harmon Mills and their families. Her husband of 50 years, Gary Harmon, and her brother, Mike Howard, predeceased her.

Friends are invited to a celebration of her life Saturday, April 29 at 2:00 PM at the Century Club, 1355 Franklin Street, San Francisco CA 94109.

In lieu of flowers, people wishing to make a donation are encouraged to consider The Century Club of California, the Club’s non-profit organization (The 1888 Foundation), or a charity of the donor’s choice.