John Nepomucene Harman III

John N. Harman, III—inventor, chemist, college professor, and loving husband, father, and grandfather—passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 10, 2021, after an inspirational fight against lung cancer. John was born on December 13, 1940 in Binghamton, New York. He overcame childhood polio and was a successful student at Flintridge Preparatory in La Cañada. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Princeton University, where he met Jacalyn, his wife of 57 years. John worked as a chemical engineer for Beckman Instruments, through its various corporate changes, from 1964 to 2010. While at Beckman he earned 17 U.S. Patents, including one utilized by NASA in the late 1960’s for its rockets, and was inducted into the Beckman Inventors Hall of Fame. He earned his M.S. in chemical engineering at the University of California, Irvine, and traveled the world as an active member of the International Society of Electrochemistry. John had a passion for teaching and enthusiastically shared his knowledge with thousands of students over a 30+ year career as an adjunct professor at Cal State Fullerton, Santa Ana College, and New College of California. In retirement, John filled his desire for learning by participating in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.John was a wit, an avid reader, and enjoyed traveling with his family. They will miss him dearly. He is survived by his wife Jacalyn, his brother Paul, his children Michelle, John IV, and James, his daughters-in-law Denise and Eva, and his grandchildren Ryan, Daniel, Sarah, Vanessa, John V, David, and Gabriel.In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor John’s memory may make a contribution to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at California State University, Fullerton.