Longtime OCC secretary, historian dies

Susan McCormack

Longtime Corona del Mar resident Thelma Harwood, historian and secretary

with the Coast Community College District for 27 years, died Friday of

complications from Parkinson’s disease. She was 85.

Mrs. Harwood was born in Indiana and married Meredith “Woody” Harwood.

The couple moved to Corona del Mar during World War II, when her husband

was stationed at the Santa Ana Army Base and she was a Red Cross

volunteer.

After Orange Coast College was built on the land of the former base, Mrs.

Harwood became employed at the school. From 1951 to 1964, she served as

secretary to OCC’s founding president, Dr. Basil H. Peterson.

When Peterson retired in 1965, Mrs. Harwood was one of three editors to

present him with a 300-page book titled “Tumbleweeds to Roses: A History

of Orange Coast College.” Mrs. Harwood wrote the book’s second chapter,

which focused on the three-year history of the Santa Ana Army Base.

Mrs. Harwood also helped research and edit chapters written by 17 other

authors. Only 500 copies of the book were made, and college officials

said a few copies remain today in private collections, libraries, college

campuses and historical society archives. An online version is available

on the college’s Web site.

“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Mrs. Harwood

reportedly said about the book during a 1997 interview at the college. “I

was a secretary, not a writer or editor ... I’ve always been a quick

study, so I picked things up fairly swiftly.”

Mrs. Harwood later worked as secretary to the chancellor of the Coast

Community College District, Dr. Norman E. Watson. She retired in 1978 and

was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease several months later. Her husband

died in 1981, but Mrs. Harwood continued to live in their Corona del Mar

home.

In 1991, the college awarded Mrs. Harwood with an honorary associate’s

degree. In 1994, Mrs. Harwood was confined to a wheelchair and moved to

Manor Care in Fountain Valley, where she died. She did not have any

children.

Friends and family of Mrs. Harwood described her as “cordial,”

“brilliant” and “courageous.” And, she loved cats.

“Her room was surrounded by cats,” said Tiffany Laplante of Manor Care.

Mrs. Harwood’s grand nephew, Barrett Bailey, added that she also loved

the Southwestern artist De Grazia. He also said while his great aunt had

no children of her own, she was very generous to him, writing letters and

always remembering to give him Christmas gifts.

Mrs. Harwood is survived by her older sister, Mary Bailey, of Fountain

Valley.

Private services will be held Nov. 15.