Harry Arthur Riedel

Born on January 7,1950 at Centinela Valley Hospital in Inglewood, CA, Harry was proud to be a native Californian. He lived with his parents, Harry and Harriet, in Fox Hills Trailer Park in Culver City, CA, until 1953 when they moved, along with baby sister Heidi, to Playa del Rey, CA.

Harry went through the L.A. public school system, graduating from Westchester High School in 1968, and went on to get his bachelor's degree in Recreation from California State University, Northridge, in 1973. After college he married Gail Green in 1975 and they were married for 10 years. He started working for the U.S. Forest Service that same year as a fire fighter, and then in 1975 he transferred with the Forest Service to Pyramid Lake where he worked as a patrolman on the lake and moved to Frazier Park. In 1980 he started working for the El Tejon School District in the maintenance department, eventually becoming the Director of Operations and Maintenance Services for the school district. He retired in 2005.

Harry loved growing up by the ocean in Playa del Rey. After his father taught him how to sail an 8-ft. dinghy in Marina de Rey, he never looked back. Harry and good friend Anthony Hawkesworth both built 12ft. Sail Fish sailboats when they were 14 years old, and then a 14-ft. Malibu Outrigger when he was 16 years old. Then, over a period of approximately 20 yrs., he built Wahoo, a 37-ft. trimaran sailboat, which he docked in Ventura Marina. He and close friend Anthony sailed many bare boat chartered cruises in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean as well as Tonga.

Harry was a wonderful uncle to his sister Heidi's two children, Andrew and Christina Chiacchieri. He was always there for them as a role model, mentor and pillar through tough times and fun times in their lives over the last 33 years. He went camping and sailing with them over the years. He made a special effort to attend all graduations, weddings, and many holidays over the years in Colorado where his nephew and niece live. They both admired him and learned so much from him, and will carry with them memories of his kindness and wit as they move forward with their lives and families now.

Harry considered himself to lucky to have found his wife Mary who loved doing all the things he like doing. They married in 2009 and went on many camping trips in Ruby, their Toyota Land Crusier, spent every weekend on Wahoo their sailboat, participated in MG car club activities, and were members of the Desert Tortoise Society.

Harry loved Mary, sailing, MG cars (of which he had two- a 1950 MGTD and a 1966 MGBGT), and desert tortoises (in that order). He was taken from us far too soon. He was an amazing man with a kind and loving nature who had an adventurous spirit. He is survived by his wife Mary, sister Heidi, nephew Andrew Chiacchieri, niece Christina Botello, great-niece Zoey Chiacchieri, great-nephew Edward Arthur Chiacchieri, step-daughters Elizabeth Olsson and Meghan Barge-Livshits and granddaughters Auroa, Luna, and Lucia.

A memorial service will be held at Hillcrest Memorial Park on Saturday, August 19, 2017 in Bakersfield, CA at 10 a.m.. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Cancer Society.