Dennis Harmon

Dennis Edward Harmon passed away suddenly in the comfort of his home on Wednesday, February 20, 2013.

Dennis was born on April 20, 1946 at the Doctors’ Hospital in Washington, D.C., the son of James and Elizabeth (Lord) Harmon. The family moved to Ann Arbor, MI soon after, and Dennis enjoyed spending much of his childhood exploring the local natural history museum.

He began studying horology, learning the skills needed for watch and clock repair, when he was 14, working as an apprentice in his father’s clock shop. Later, Dennis moved to Los Angeles and found watch repairers who allowed him to continue honing his craft as their assistants, until he was ready to go into business for himself. His first work bench was small enough to transport in the back of his convertible whenever he moved to a new location.

July, 1967

Through meticulous work, careful note keeping, sharp memory, and a brilliant mind, he quietly established a reputation as one of the best horologists in this hemisphere. He moved to upstate New York in 1978, developing a loyal customer base in the New York City region. In 1983, he moved to the Waterbury area, setting up his shop in Wolcott. Dennis chose this area partly due to its proximity to New York City, but largely because of the strength of the Waterbury region’s tool & die, watchmaking, and machine shop traditions.

In his free time, Dennis enjoyed “messing about in boats,” paddling his canoe along the Bantam and Shepaug Rivers. The few vacations he took were spent canoeing in the Adirondacks. He hoped someday to write a book about canoeing, and took countless photographs and videos while on the water.

He loved spending time with his granddaughters, watching birds and sharing the love and knowledge of nature that he had learned from his mother, who had learned it from her father. He shared that same knowledge with his daughters, and he encouraged them in their study of art. He also taught them an appreciation of fine craftsmanship. He valued doing what one loves, rather than doing something simply to earn money.

Dennis was a modest, quiet, gentle man who made friends wherever he went. He shared amazing stories about his life, the people he met, and the experiences he had.

He is survived by his daughters, Raechel Guest, of Waterbury, and Madelyne Salyer, of New Haven; by his granddaughters, Rosaria and Vivian Salyer, of New Haven; his sister-in-law, Nancy Majeske, and his nephew, Peter Harmon, both of Michigan; and by numerous cousins in Florida and Washington state. He was predeceased by his brother, Patrick Harmon, and by his parents.

Rather than holding a traditional memorial service, the family asks anyone seeking to remember Dennis or to commemorate his life to pick a beautiful day, sunny or rainy, and go for a leisurely stroll through the woods, or sit by the side of a stream, and enjoy the sights and sounds of the natural world.