The Pawling Rotary Club will celebrate honoree Richard Harshbarger at its 12th annual golf outing on May 20th at the Quaker Hill Country Club. Known for his proud service in the United States Army, as a Rotarian and as a devoted member of the Pawling community, Dick has a history of accomplishment, caring, generosity and pride in the community in which he has lived since 1975 with Martha, his wife of sixty-five years, by his side.

A graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College and the University of Pennsylvania, his business acumen was honed at Eastman Kodak, IBM, and the Juran Institute, as well as his own consulting firm, Business Process Consulting. Within the community, he brought his corporate expertise as an elected member of Pawling’s Town Council throughout his eight-year tenure.  He also served as a strategic member of the town planning board.

Dick has been an invaluable member of Pawling’s Rotary Club for twenty years, having been sponsored for membership by Ross Daniels in 2004.  He has taken on the ultimate leadership of the club for a total 4 1/2 years as president from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2013 to 2015 , stepping in to complete the final six months of his predecessor, who was unable to complete her term. It was during Dick’s tenure as club president that his vision was realized for establishing the club’s current and important mission of supporting Pawling’s youth. Beyond those crucial leadership years, he has given generously of his time and skills serving as committee chair for several club events and initiatives. He has maintained and organized information in preparation of the annual golf journal and is the perennial meeter and greeter at our annual golf outings, where he can be found welcoming all players, checking in foursomes and collecting alloutstanding fees with an engaging smile!  

He co-chairs the burgeoning food tent operation for the annual Rotary Fall Fest, chairs Rotary’s annual Dictionary Days for Pawling’s public school and Mizzentop third graders, and coordinates with the club’s friends at Vinny’s Deli and Family Quick Stop, who supply the meals for the weekly Rotary lunchmeetings every Tuesday at Lathrop at Lakeside.

On a personal note, Dick and Martha are the proud parents to daughter Susan and son Steven, loving grandparents to three wonderful grandchildren, and absolutely thrilled to have welcomed the newest addition to their family with the birth oftheir great grandson.

Dicks’s quiet leadership and steady presence on Rotary’s boardare testament to his commitment to Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self.” Having served Rotary and the Pawling community with grace and compassion, the Rotary club is privileged to count him among its membership and is proud to name him thisyear’s honoree.