Harry, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather left this earth at the age of 92 after a struggle with Congestive Heart Failure. On September 23, 2019 Harry joined the love of his life, Elaine, to live eternally in their
heavenly home.
Harry was born to Edwin and Doris Gruen in the family farmhouse at Rosamond, Illinois on may 22, 1927. He attended a one-room country elementary school. After graduation from High School he joined the Navy. After discharge from active duty he attended the American Television Institute in Chicago. While a student there and working at a part-time office job he met Elaine Weiler, and on June 11, 1949 they were married. Later that year Harry received his Engineering Degree and began his career in electronics.
While employed at Armour Research Foundation in Chicago, he attended night classes at the Illinois Institute of Technology, receiving the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1959. His career specialty was the design and manufacture of frequency control devices (crystal oscillators) and electronic timing systems. He authored several technical papers published in professional journals.
After several years in research he joined a startup company in Geneva, Illinois that was the first company to manufacture crystal oscillators as a standardized product. After four years the company was sold and subsequent career moves took him and the family from Illinois to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Davenport, Iowa and in 1966 to Santa Barbara.
In 1969, Harry founded Spectrum Technology in Goleta and was its President and General Manager. Spectrum merged into Datum, Inc. in 1986 where Harry continued until his retirement in 1989.
Harry was preceded in death by his wife Elaine, his parents, Edwin and Doris Gruen, his two older sisters, Grace and Ruth, his older brother Pat, two younger brothers Elmer and Willis, and two brothers that died as infants.
Harry is survived by his four daughters, Susan Trout (Mike) of Beaverton Oregon; Nancy Iden (Dennis) of Solvang; Marcia Caswell of Goleta; Beverly Boland (James) of Oxnard; and a brother, Floyd of Decatur, Illinois. He leaves 9 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
The family would like to express their deep and heartfelt gratitude to the private caregivers, the staff of Maravilla, and Assisted Hospice. We have been blessed by your devotion and love not only for Harry, but for the needs of the family as well.
In lieu of flowers the family suggest donations to a charity of your choice.
A celebration of Harry’s life will be held at Maravilla Clubhouse, 5500 Calle Real, Santa Barbara on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.
