Richard "Dick" Harley

Richard “Dick” Harley went to be with the Lord at 9:15 pm on November 23rd, 2010. Dick passed away from kidney and liver failure leading to heart failure. Dick was born Feb 24, 1923 in Springfield, Ohio. He grew up in Collegeville, PA where he was Captain of both the basketball and football team and voted the best dancer of the entire high school. Dick enlisted in the Army Air Corp in 1942. He attended primary flight instruction at Sherman, Texas. He graduated from flight school in Eagle Pass Texas where he received his wings. Dick flew the P-40 while at Eagle Pass. He was transferred to Bartow Air Base where he learned to fly the P-51. He arrived in Bartow in May of 1944. The flight cadets were told about the Mustang Club where he met his future wife, Dorothy Ellis. She came up to him to ask him to dance. They were a couple from that moment forward. Dick was transferred in July of 1944 to the China Burma India Theater. He became a member of the famed flying squadron, the “Flying Tigers”, under the command of General Chennault. While flying the missions, they had many weather problems. Often they would have to fly very low, and because of this, they lost a lot of pilots. There were 70 pilots on his orders, and 35 did not come home. On a number of his missions, his plane was hit by enemy fire. In November of 1945 Dick came to Bartow to visit his future wife. They became engaged in January of 1946, and married in May of 46. Dick graduated from the University of Florida in 1948 receiving his degree in Agricultural Economics. He was a flight instructor and later became flight supervisor at the Bartow Airbase. He enjoyed teaching the Cadets how to fly. Richard Harley’s profession was primarily as a citrus grower with groves in Polk and Hillsboro County. Parallel to this he also worked for a short while as a realtor. His favorite hobbies were wood working and flying radio controlled airplanes. When flying the radio controlled airplanes at their lake house on Crooked Lake, he found that conventional seaplane floats didn’t work well on the radio controlled airplanes. In his creativity he invented a far superior seaplane float with an inverted-V bottom. While semi-retired in his early 50’s, his son Howard brought him out of retirement to start a company building seaplane floats for real airplanes. The company built these in the late 70s and early 80s eventually branching out to building fast and fuel efficient boats and yachts, some as large as 98 feet long. He loved doing developmental projects for the boat and seaplane companies. Dick and his entire family were born again Christians. His entire family line followed him in his decision. He was a member and regularly attended the ARP Church in Bartow with his wife Dot. Dick built the family home that he lived in since 1957 with his own hands and two helpers, doing all the construction except the electrical. In his retirement years, he loved to ride his electric wheelchair to church and around town. Dick was a loving father who lived for his children. When the kids were growing, up he spent many wonderful hours with his children. He would take much time off from his work to teach them to boat, water-ski, fish, and sail, and gave greats amounts of his time to do projects for and with his children. In his retirement years, Dick lost a leg to diabetes. He had 14 surgeries in a single two year window, and told his family “no more surgeries.” Dick is preceded in death by his loving wife of 63 years, Dorothy Ellis Harley, and two infant children, and his grandson, Matthew Huntsman. He is survived by his son, Howard Harley of Bartow, three daughters, Lynda Jackson of Winter Haven, Marianne Greer of Lake Oswego, Oregon, and Lorraine Huntsman, of Independence Kentucky, his sister Thelma Landes Hess of Collegeville PA, and ten grandchildren, Andrea Jackson Taylor of Nashville, TN, Aaron Jackson of Tampa, Jonathan Greer of Long Beach, CA, David Greer, Samuel Greer, and Elijah Greer all of Lake Oswego OR, Daniel Huntsman of Lexington KY, Benjamin Huntsman, Azriel Huntsman, and Hannah Huntsman, all of Independence KY, and 7 great grandchildren. Dick Harley was loved by all. He is now rejoicing in heaven with Jesus. Family will receive friends Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6-8 pm at Whidden-McLean Funeral Home, Bartow. Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 10 AM at the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, 205 East Stanford Street, Bartow. Interment will follow in Bartow Wildwood Cemetery.