Claud Henry Hardesty

Long time resident of Carpinteria and Santa Barbara, died Thursday, November 8, 2012 at the age of 103. Claud was born July 9, 1909 on a farm 9 miles north of Kensington, Kansas. He was the second child and son of Don and Viola Hardesty. Growing up on a farm, Claud told of handling one team of horses to work on the farm when he was seven years old. By the time he was nine he was driving two teams. He recalled being up very early to help with the milking and then going out to the fields to work unless school was in session. He attended a rural one room school house and then Kensington High School where he played football and was on the wrestling team. During his senior year in 1927, Claud was the state wrestling champ in his weight division. He attended Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina, Kansas, majoring in history and sociology. There he met his first wife, Pauline Smith. They were married in Kansas on 22 May 1932. They moved to Westminster, California where Claud attended USC, earning his teaching credential, administrative credential and counseling credential along with his Master's Degree. His first teaching assignment was 7th and 8th grade in Orange County. In 1936 they moved to the Santa Barbara area, building their own home on Shepard Mesa in Carpinteria. Over the next 34 years he taught at, or was the principal of Franklin, Roosevelt, McKinley, Garfield, and Harding Elementary Schools, and was the principal at La Cumbre Junior High for five years. He spent the last 13 years of his career in education as the Principal of Santa Barbara High School. He remained an avid supporter of Santa Barbara High sports after his retirement. During this time in his life his wife passed away and he married Catherine "Katie" Phillipson, an English teacher he knew at Santa Barbara High School. She was a very special part of his life for 21 years before she died of emphysema. During the next 8 years he traveled with his friends Mark and Betty Smith to Spain, Italy, Portugal, France and New Zealand. He also took short trips that were offered through the city or recreation department. On one of the local trips he met Shirley Pendergraft and on Jan 8, 1994 they were married. He was 84 years old at the time and it was his first church wedding! During his years as an educator, he was also busy purchasing lemon and avocado groves on the Mesa. After he retired in 1970 this part of his life took on even more significance. He farmed in his spare time and sold his produce locally. He picked and hauled his last avocado crop to market the summer of his 97th birthday! In addition, he began the practice of walking 3 miles on the Mesa almost every day. Upon retirement he also became more involved in track and field officiating, working meets at UCSB, Westmont, and Santa Barbara City College. Claud was a full time official for Carpinteria High starting in 1997 at the age of eighty-eight, timing every Warrior home meet for over 10 years. He also was involved with Calavo, served on the CIF Executive Committee, and as a member of the Santa Barbara High Alumni Association. Preceding him in death were his brothers, Cecil and Elmer, and his sister Goldie. He leaves his wife Shirley, two step-children, five nieces and a nephew. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to the Santa Barbara High School Alumni Association Scholarship Fund at P.O. Box 6121, Santa Barbara, CA 93160-6121 A viewing will be held from 9-5 pm on Thursday, November 15th at Welch- Ryce-Haider, 15 East Sola Street, Santa Barbara. Services to be held at 10:00 on Friday, November 16th at the Free Methodist Church, 1435 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara. Interment will follow at Carpinteria Cemetery. To share a memory or leave on line condolences please visit www.wrhsb.com

Claud Henry Hardesty

July 9, 1909 - November 8, 2012