Richard (Dick) Harding from Lexington, MA died at age 99 on May 20, 2018 after a brief illness. He was an avid sportsman participating in baseball, ice hockey and golf throughout his years at Lexington High School and Bowdoin College. He was a member of the first LHS hockey team in 1936 and was captain of the hockey and baseball teams at Bowdoin. His love of golf never ended throughout his 88 years as a member of the Lexington Golf Club where he was Club Champion 7 times, and was one of the founding members of the Lexington Ski Club finally hanging up his skis at 91! Dick continued his education at Harvard University completing his MBA after WWII where his was a decorated Navy pilot on this USS Franklin awarded with 6 air medals and the Silver Star for the Battle of Leyete Gulf. He began and ended his career as a sales represent ative and National Sales Manager for Merckens Chocolate Company, now a division of Kraft/Heinz. Dick was predeceased by this wife of 60 years, Barbara (Del), his sister and her husband Barbara (aged 100) and E. Gordon Kakas. He is survived by his children and spouses; Richard and Debra Harding, Janice and Peter Cronstrom of Dunstable, MA and James and Andrea Harding of Lexington, MA; grandchildren Christine, Ricky and wife Tracey, Jeff and wife Manjola, Kristen and husband Tri, Kelley and Matthew and 5 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his niece Sallyann Kakas and her children RK, Elise and Christian Quebec. As a close friend recently stated, He was an officer and a humble gentleman, and will leave a big hole in a lot of lives. Private services will be held later this summer on Marthas Vineyard Island where his family has resided for 11 generations. He will be buried in the family plot with his wife and parents in Vineyard Haven. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund at the Lexington Golf Club.
Published in The Lexington Minuteman from May 30 to June 14, 2018