- Date Of Death: July 31, 2011
- State: New Jersey
Richard S. Harple died on Sunday, July 31, 2011 following a long struggle against Huntington’s Disease. Mr. Harple is survived by his wife of twenty-five years, Betty Wilson, of Burlington, NJ and his son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Clare Harple of Azle, TX.
Also surviving are his stepsons and their wives, Thomas and Joyce Wilson of Chatham, NJ and Kyle and Pam Wilson of Thousand Oaks, CA as well as five grandchildren, Charlotte Wilson of Somerville, MA, James and Molly Wilson of Chatham, NJ, and Franchesca and Kendall Wilson of Thousand Oaks California. Mr. Harple was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps where he served two tours of duty in the years 1949 – 1952. He remained in the United States Marine Corps Reserve until 1956.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from Rider College (now Rider University) and a Master’s Degree and additional post-graduate credits in Education from Temple University. Mr. Harple was a high school teacher in cooperative education and business at Bensalem High School, Bensalem, PA. He retired in 1993. Prior to his teaching career, he was a personnel manager with the Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia, PA and DeLaval Steam Turbine Company in Trenton, NJ. He taught hotel management at Ft. Dix, NJ. Mr. Harple was a volunteer lecturer at the University of Medicine and Dentistry – School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford, NJ on the subject of “Living with Huntington’s Disease”.
He was a member of the Lions Club of Bensalem Township, PA for eight years serving one term as president, a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose, American Legion Capt. James MacFarland Post #79 and Historic Yorkshire Alliance. Prior to living in Burlington, Mr. Harple resided in Levittown, PA for thirty-four years. He was married to Hildegarde Schroeder Harple for thirty-two years until her death in 1983. He was born in Lancaster, PA.
