Harold Nolan Hauser

June 28, 1932 – August 26, 2024

Harold Nolan Hauser passed away on August 26, 2024, at the age of 92. He is now “home again” with Melba, his wife of 68 years, who predeceased him in May. Harold was a family man, a man of faith, an educator, a mathematician, a Marine, and a loyal Yankees and Jayhawks fan.

He was known for his storytelling and desire to chat with everyone he met. “My grandpa never met a stranger and was never without a story to tell,” his eldest granddaughter, Jamie, reflected upon his death. “I know you’re at peace with Grandma now. Hope that Heaven has an active audience for you.”

Harold was born on June 28, 1932, in Arkansas City, Kansas, to Henry and Veda Hauser, joining older sister, Ramona. At the age of 12, his family moved to the farm near Severy, Kansas, where Veda was born and raised. There, Harold attended a one-room schoolhouse (before attending high school in town). It was in this setting that Harold became aware of his gift with numbers and explaining math to others. He shared that, as a 6th/7th grader, he often explained Algebra to the older students as he understood it better than the teacher. His parents, who had only completed 8th grade, valued education, and both he and Ramona graduated from college. While in high school, Harold enjoyed playing baseball and basketball and he worked on the farm, milking cows, caring for stock, especially his sheep. Throughout his life, Harold loved seeing, talking about, and interacting with livestock of all kinds, and animals loved him.

Harold attended Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas for a year before leaving to volunteer for the Marine Corps during the Korean War. Returning to Severy after his discharge in the fall of 1954, Harold met Melba at the local drug store where she was working; her father was the new Methodist minister in town. They were engaged the following spring, announced as a “double header” alongside the birth of Melba’s youngest sibling, Kerry. They both attended Southwestern following their engagement and were married by her father in Severy on June 14, 1956, gaining Harold three more sisters and a brother.

Harold and Melba continued at Southwestern, Harold graduated in 1958, following this, and pregnant with their first child, they moved to Washington State University, where Harold began his graduate studies and worked as a teaching assistant in math and physics. Melba meanwhile completed her degree at Southwestern via mail and gave birth to their first child, Janice. While still working to complete his Master’s degree, the family moved to Pasco, Washington in 1959, where Harold taught math and physics at the high school. He was also a referee for, and sometimes coached, basketball and served as scorekeeper/statistician for other PHS teams, including Track and Field. During his time in Pasco, Harold also began teaching nights at Columbia Basin Community College, beginning his lifetime association with Community Colleges. Harold and Melba had three more children while living in Pasco: Tammie, Allen, and Jeffrey.

In 1968, the family moved to Pendleton, Oregon, where Harold became chairman of the math department at the recently opened Blue Mountain Community College. 1977 saw their final move, to Gresham, when Harold became the Associate Dean of Math & Physics at Mount Hood Community College. Harold spent his career helping to expand Oregon’s community college programs and committed to making math relevant to everyone. In pursuit of this goal, he wrote math curricula and textbooks which were tailored to each individual community college program with a math requirement--seeking to make math clearly relevant to all who needed to use it. He also visited many high schools and community organizations over the years, encouraging people of all ages to continue learning. He is fondly remembered by many of the estimated 19,000 students he taught. One of his earliest students, upon recently being named an outstanding educator of 60 years, shared in his bio that “He acknowledges the significant influence of his high school math teacher, Harold Hauser, whose passion for mathematics and inspiring guidance motivated him to major in math in college.”

Besides inspiring and encouraging his students, Harold was also an active spectator at his children and grandchildren’s school programs, sporting events, and other activities, and proudly attended the choral concerts of his wife Melba. He and Melba were active Methodists their entire lives, serving on many church committees and boards. They were generous contributors and volunteers to a wide variety of charities and were always willing to offer support or a helping hand to family, friends, or strangers. Harold was committed throughout his life to supporting the hopes, aspirations, and educational needs of those from all backgrounds. They were especially proud of creating an endowed scholarship at their Alma Mater.

Surviving members of his family include his children: Janice Hauser, Tammie Lawson, Allen Hauser and his wife Julie, Jeffrey Hauser and his wife Kerry; grandchildren Jamie, Gareth, Duncan, Nicholas, Rebecca, Hali, Joshua, Tristan, and Jake; two great-granddaughters, Daisy and Violet; his 3 sister-in-laws Cheryl, Dana, and Kerry, plus many nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life is currently postponed due to family illness. Please check back in the near future for update on Harold's service. (10.10.24)

Family members would be pleased with donations to honor Harold at Southwestern College (in memory of Harold Hauser class of ’58) which will be added to the existing scholarship he and Melba were proud to provide. www.sckans.edu/makeagift