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June 8, 2006
Passings: Harry H. Honegger, WWII Veteran, Retired Cal Poly Professor
- Obituary courtesy the Honegger Family
 Harry H. Honegger, best known for his love of teaching others in the classroom and in life about what matters most, passed away on May 29, at the age of 81, in Eugene, Oregon. He will be remembered by his favorite sayings: "Find a way to do it, not a reason why you can't," and "One good test is worth a thousand expert opinions," as well as and many others. He died at home from complications of pneumonia.
He was born in Portland, Oregon on May 31, 1924, the second son of William and Lena Honegger. He grew up in Multnomah, and graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School, and then served his country in WW II in the Pacific. When he returned home after the war, he attended Oregon State College in Corvallis, where he earned his Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1952. He started his career as a Testing Lab Engineer in Portland. In 1954 he met Jeannette, proposed on Valentine's Day, and married on July 16th. In 1961, Harry accepted a teaching position at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in the Metallurgical Engineering Department. Over the next 27 years he provided a practical approach to teaching based on years of experience in and out of the classroom. He had a passion for teaching and keeping in touch with his graduates.
While in San Luis Obispo, he raised a family, orchard, garden, chickens and rabbits -- all on one acre. He was a devoted father, attending the school and sporting events for his five children, and recording every event on film. His abundant gardens and orchards became examples of his generosity of giving to others. A member of Church of the Nazarene, he served in many roles in church as he saw the need. He had a passion for missions, including trips overseas to work on mission projects. He was a long-time member of the San Luis Obispo Church of the Nazarene, and more recently was a member of the Fairview Church of the Nazarene in Eugene, Oregon.
After retiring from Cal Poly, Harry and Jeannette moved to Corvallis, Oregon in 1991, and then moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 2000 to be close to their daughter Margaret and her family. He continued his generosity in the later years by giving out literally thousands of home-baked muffins.
He is survived by Jeannette, his loving wife of 51 years; daughter Janice (deBruin) and her husband Edward and their children Eric and Marissa; son Gregory and his wife Katherine; son Duane and his wife Rebecca and their son Travis; daughter Margaret (Landrum) and her husband Randy and their children Jon (and his wife Maria), Debra and Bethany; and son Allen and his wife Karen and their children Karl, Anson and Hannah. He is also survived by his older brother William and his wife Naomi. His preceded in death by his sister Emilena and brother Daniel.
A celebration of his life will be held in Eugene on Saturday, June 10. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alabaster Mission Fund at your local Church of the Nazarene, or online via http://www.nazarene.org.
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