Harold Rex Honeyfield

Harold Rex  Honeyfield  passed away  on November 24  at: Sutter Hospital in Sacramento.  He was born December 28, 1930 in the same house that his father was, on Johnson Mesa,19 miles east of Raton, N Mex. the son of Ed and  Elizabeth (Black) Honeyfield.  He spent most of his youth hard at work on the family homestead located on the Mesa where he attended grade school during the summer months due to the harsh winter months.  He graduated from Raton High School in 1948, then served 3 1/2 years in  the U S Navy being promoted to yeoman 3/c then, 2 years as a Midshipman at the U S Naval Academy.  He received a BS degree from NMSU in Agricultural Engineering in 1956 and a MS degree from Purdue Univ..  He was employed by the USDA, Soil Conservation Service from January 1958 to September 30, 1989,  with positions as Head Design Section in Albuquerque for 18 years,  then to Afghanistan for 2 years, and then to Portland, Oregon as a Design Engineer at the West Regional Office of SCS, then to Davis, Calif. as Assistant State Engineer for the SCS. for 11 years.    After  retiring from Federal Service,  he became a Consultant with  Harza Engineering to Pakistan.    He was a Registered Engineer in the State of N Mex. and  a Registered Civil  Engineer in the State of California.  He enjoyed working as a design engineer as  one could exercise the creativity of one ‘s own ideas,  and to teach younger engineers the thought process of evaluating the pro’s & con’s of a design that conforms to the goals of the project’s purpose.  

He was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity being inducted at Alpha Lambda Chapter at NMSU.  During his time in Davis, he was the Chapter House Advisor for the local Phi Chapter of the  Fraternity,   He was a devoted genealogist, having published 7 books of genealogy  information,  5 of which were devoted to his family,  and 2  were for Pioneer Families of Colfax County  New Mexico, and Saline Co. Nebraska.     In 1997 he hosted a family  reunion of the Honeyfield’s, in Raton, New Mexico and in 2015 traveled to New Zealand to attend a reunion of the Honeyfield’s living there.  He was a prostate cancer survivor, and a charter member of  the Yolo Prostate Cancer Support Group, to which he was an active supporter. .

He was preceded by his parents,  his two brothers: Robert E  and Lloyd J Honeyfield,  one half-brother, Bill Lamborn,  several cousins.  He is survived by  his wife, Valma  (nee Thompson ) of the home, and by three sons:    Holin  (Rose) of  Spokane, Wash, Keith (Joann) of Davis, Calif, and Jason of Phoenix, Ariz,  also one sister-in-law Wanda Honeyfield  of Raton, New Mexico, three nephews – Mark, Scott, Eric,  and  several grand nephews, nieces and several cousins.   Cards may be sent to family home, 2703 Catalina Dr. Davis, CA  95616.
    
Funeral Services and Celebration of Life  will be conducted at University Covenant Church, 315 Mace Blvd,  Davis, CA.  Viewing from 11-12,  service and light lunch at 12.  Interment at 2 pm.   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Yolo Prostate Cancer Support Group, (in care of   Mr. Gil Walker,  800 Donner Way, Woodland, CA   95695 or to the Alpha Lambda Chapter of AGR Fraternity,  2545 So.  Espina,  Las Cruces NM 88001.