Robert Marvin Harding, 94, passed away on Friday, May 28, 2021, in Laguna Woods, California. He was born Sunday, June 20, 1926, in Georgetown, Washington DC, the oldest son of Catherine May Burke and Robert Ira Harding. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 52 years, Gloria Tomiko Torres (Misaka) Harding.

Bob, as friends and family knew him by, grew up in Georgetown, Washington DC. Early in his education, his teachers recognized his interest and artistic skill, encouraging him and his brother Frank to design and create sets for school theater productions. Bob was also an outstanding athlete participating in and earning five medals from the Boys' Club for football, boxing, baseball, soccer and basketball. But the sport that Bob loved most was golf, which he played as often as he could. As soon as Bob turned 17 in 1943, he enlisted in the US Navy with the world at war.

Bob served as Seaman First Class, in World War II with the US Navy in the South Pacific. He was also in the Battle of Hollandia in New Guinea before he was first stationed at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, California, where he met Gloria. After returning from the South Pacific, Bob married Gloria on July 7, 1948. They initially lived in Washington D. C., before settling in Southern California in 1948. On June 22, 1946, they welcomed their first son Robert II, followed by Tim on March 30, 1948. They also had two daughters Gloria on July 1, 1954, and Catherine, on September 28, 1956.

After his discharge from the Navy, Bob attended Columbia Technical Institute-Washington D.C, studying Architectural Design and Engineering, Chouinard Art School, and California School of Art, Los Angeles, to train as a draftsman and earn his architectural license. He was a prominent commercial architect involved in designing commercial and industrial complexes in California, Arizona, and Hawaii. Bob worked for Ted R. Copper Company, then Alexander, then Commerce Construction Company and then John D. Lusk & Associates before opening his own companies Kowalski-Harding & Associates and Harding Architects.

Bob was an avid golfer, devoted father, and husband. As a member of Candlewood Golf Course, Bob was involved with organizing annual tournaments and the Junior Golfer program, sharing his love of golf with all four of his children and other young golfers in the Whittier area. He loved to dance and had a great appreciation of art, good wine, and travel. Bob and Gloria vacationed with their children, regularly taking them on road trips across the US, visiting Bob's family on the east coast, and golf resorts up and down the Pacific coast. Bob's weekends consisted of rounds of golf locally or at destinations such as Escondido, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Hawaii, Mexico, even Scotland. After their children were no longer living at home, Bob and Gloria traveled annually, taking cruises and trips to Europe, often with Bob's brother Frank and sister-in-law Marie.

He was a devout Catholic who helped raise his children in the Catholic faith and converted to Catholicism in his forties. Celebrating holidays with family was especially important to Bob with Christmases observed with midnight mass and Easters with Sunday brunch with their children and eventually grandchildren. Several years after Gloria's death, Bob met Annie; they married in January 2009. Bob and Annie retired to Laguna Woods, California, in 2015.

Bob is survived by his wife, Annie Harding; his children, Robert Marvin II, Michael Reginald Timothy, Gloria Deborah Suzanne Geisert, Catherine Dawn Wilson; his grandchildren Matthew Robert Harding, Jerrica Harding, Nathan Harding, Tamara Harding, Garrett Geisert, Sarah Harding Reidelbauer, Evan Richard Geisert, Aubrey Catherine (Dunham) Price, Jonathan Robert Dunham, Caitlin Suzanne Dunham; great-grandchildren Tyler Harding, Maddie Harding, Ezekiel Geisert, Sophia Geisert, Thomas Dunham, Emma Geisert, Avery Geisert, Lukas Reidelbauer, Shane Harding, Andrew Dunham, Quinn Reidelbauer, Dylan Price, Connor Price and Sky Harding. He is predeceased by his sisters Bernice and Jane and his brothers, Francis, Gerald (Jerry), Thomas (Tucker), Theodore (Gene), and Stanley. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who knew him.

In Lieu of flowers.. Please consider donating to the Boys and Girls Club:
www.bgca.org in Roberts memory, Thank you.

A funeral service with Military Honors is scheduled for 11:30 am, July 8, 2021, at Miramar National Cemetery, 5795 Nobel Drive, San Diego, CA 92122.