Douglas Henry Harnish, Jr., age 91, died peacefully on January 21, 2012 in Spearfish, South Dakota.

Doug was born on May 12, 1920 in Parkersburg, West Virginia to Douglas and Mary Harnish. He graduated in 1943 from West Virginia University as the highest ranking mining engineer with a BS in Mining Engineering, Oil & Gas Option. Doug proudly served in World War II as a 1st Lieutenant in the US Army in the 503 Parachute Regimental Combat Team, Infantry Unit. Following the war, he worked as a Petroleum Engineer in Illinois and West Virginia before moving to Butte, Montana where he was a full professor and the head of the Petroleum Engineering Department at the Montana School of Mines and Technology. Doug finished his career as a Senior Engineer with the Federal Government in Washington, D.C. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Episcopal Church, Disabled American Veterans, Lion's Club and American Legion.

Doug married Janis Donna Martin, on May 4, 1946 at the Little Church around the Corner in New York City. Janis passed away on April 5, 2009. Grateful to have shared his life are his four daughters: Deborah (Paul) Strassels, of Williamsburg, Virginia; Christina (Garry) Stegall, of Fredericksburg, Virginia; Lisa Harnish, of Dover, Delaware; Mary (Paul) Kopco of Deadwood, South Dakota; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Doug and his family are very grateful to the special people who cared for him at Golden Ridge Senior Care and the Dorsett Healthcare Center.

Doug will be dearly missed for his keen intelligence, great sense of humor and ability to solve just about any problem. Doug touched everyone who had the good fortune to know him. He loved football (West Virginia Mountaineers and Washington Redskins in particular); listening and dancing to music; staying up until the wee hours of the morning discussing politics, religion and philosophy; helping his daughters and grandchildren with school projects; and engineering every challenge faced by devising plans A, B and C. Most of all, Doug Harnish will be remembered as a man of integrity who deeply loved God, his family, friends, community and country.

Memorial services will be held at St. John's Episcopal Church, Deadwood, on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 10 a.m. Inurnment of Douglas and Janis Harnish will take place at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia at a future date.

Memorials honoring Douglas may be sent to St. John's Episcopal Church (PO Box 130 Deadwood, SD 57732); Adams Museum & House (PO Box 252 Deadwood, SD 57732); Home of the Brave (6632 Sharps Road Milford, DE 19963); or to your favorite charity.

Click on link to view service folder