Harold “Hal” Dessau passed away peacefully at home on Monday, Aug. 24, 2020 in Huntsville, AL. He was born in Toronto Canada on Apr 23,1936 and grew up with his younger sister Gail (Stocker) in the LA area. He had a loving marriage to Ruth Schimmel Dessau for 59 years, who passed away this past December. Together they had three children – Lori (deceased), Daniel (living in Boulder, CO with his wife Kathy), and Debra (living in Huntsville) and two grandchildren (Michael and Jessica).
He was an electrical engineer, graduating with a bachelor’s degree from Caltech and PhD from Yale, moving to the Huntsville area in the mid-80’s with Ruth and daughter Debra. Besides his engineering skills, Hal had many talents and interests and was widely read, including writing some of his own stories and poems. Together with Ruth he enjoyed classical and Israeli music, natural foods, organic gardening, and caring for their special-needs daughter Debra. They all greatly enjoyed the loving and supportive environment here in Huntsville, and he very much enjoyed taking his grandkids around Huntsville when they visited.
Hal suffered a debilitating stroke in 2014, and was blessed by the tremendous love, care, and help he received from so many people since that time. He will be greatly missed, and always remembered.
A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m., Friday, August 28th at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, AL.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorials be sent to Jewish National Fund https://usa.jnf.org/jnf-tree-planting-center/, or Etz Chayim Conservative Synagogue, 7705 Bailey Cove Rd SE, Huntsville, AL 35802.
