Harold Oswald

02/16/1921-05/13/2011
Dr. Harold Oswald, long time respected dentist and resident of Bellingham, passed away peacefully in his home on May 13th, at the age of ninety. He joins the ranks of our greatest generation heroes who have “slipped the surly bonds of earth, to touch the face of God.” Raised in Tacoma, Washington, by Volga German immigrant parents, George and Mary Oswald, Harold was the youngest of eleven children. After the start of WWII, he was commissioned as a Naval Aviator and served on Attu Island, flying bombing missions over Japan. He continued in the Navy Reserve for a total of twenty-three years, flying many aircraft including his favorite, the F4U Corsair. His service to his country allowed him to utilize the GI Bill and become the first in his family to attend college.  He graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1953. While in dental school he married Dorothy Livesey. Upon graduation Harold and Dorothy and their two young sons Steve and Mike, moved to Bellingham. There he established a dental practice that spanned fifty-three years. During that time a third son, Pete, was born.  Pete, a Navy SEAL, died in a training mission in 2002. Dr. Oswald was dedicated to his patients and to his profession. He served as a member of the Washington State Board of Dental Examiners, was a member of the American College of Dentists, and numerous other dental affiliations. He teamed with close friend, Bellingham High School football coach, Howard Jones, and produced some of the first football mouth guards used in the state of Washington. He also volunteered his dental skills in Tonga for a time, serving a population that did not have access to dental care. Harold, known as “Ossie” to his friends, loved to hunt and fish. He was a long time student of the game of golf, starting in his youth with a job as a greens keeper. He remained a member of the Bellingham Golf and Country Club until he passed away. The regard his three sons had for him is evident in their chosen fields. Two followed his footsteps to the Navy and one into the dental profession.  They all shared their father’s love of hunting and fishing and single malt scotch. All three have at least attempted to play golf. Harold’s death follows that of his wife Dorothy and son Pete. Left to honor his memory are his sister Elsie Cowling of Tacoma, son Steve Oswald and wife Diane of Houston, their three children Monique, Janna, and Scott, Monique’s husband Mike Manning, and their daughters Kate and Kelly, son Mike Oswald and his wife Nancy of Bellingham, their son Casey, Pete’s wife Jennifer Oswald of San Diego, and daughters Sarah, Alicia, and Margaret.  A Celebration of Harold’s life will be held at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club on Sat., June 11th at 11 AM.

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