Harry Torrence Obituary

TORRENCE, Harry Major Harry Lee Torrence, US Army (Ret.), 71, of Goose Creek, SC, died Tuesday, December 9, 2008, in a hospital in Charleston, SC. Born July 24, 1937 in New Bern, NC, he was a son of Samuel Mason and Espie Harriett Lee Torrence. Mr. Torrence grew up in New Bern, NC and attended New Bern High School, where he met his future wife of 50 years, Terry Ann Munford. He earned an AA degree from Mars Hill College in 1957 and received his BS degree from East Carolina University. Harry enlisted in the US Army in September, 1958 and his early career involved maintenance and assembly of atomic weapons. He graduated from Officer Candidate Training school and the US Artillery and Missile School in Fort Sill, OK., and was commissioned as an officer in July 1964. He served in Vietnam from 1968-69 and was cited for outstanding achievement and awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his actions during the period January to August 1968 while serving with Company D, 709th Maintenance Battalion, 9th Infantry division. He also received the Bronze Star Medal for outstanding meritorious service in connection with military operations against a hostile force. Mr. Torrence graduated from the US Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS and the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. From 1974-1976 he was the exchange officer with the British Army serving as the Head of the Department of Basic Electronics at the Royal School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Arborfield England. As the Officer in Charge he was responsible for the school cricket team, as well as directing the fundraising effort for the Army Mountaineering Association's attempt to climb Mt. Everest. For the next three years he was stationed at Redstone Arsenal, AL where he worked on the SAM-D missile project. When he retired from the military in 1979, he went to Hughes Aircraft in El Segundo, CA., and became a program manager on the TOW 2 missile subsystem project. In 1985 he moved to Santa Barbara Research (a subsidiary of Hughes Aircraft located in Santa Barbara, CA), where he became a Programs Manager over infrared detector development. Harry was an avid golfer his entire life and moved to Charleston in 2006 to be close to his children and grandchildren. He was a member of Crowfield Golf and Country Club, Goose Creek and also the Harbour Club in Charleston. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Terry Ann Munford Torrence of Goose Creek, SC; two sons, Lee Torrence and his wife, The Reverend Margaret Torrence, of Swannanoa, NC and Jeff Torrence of James Island, SC; grandchildren: Nate and Hanna Torrence and Joshua Piers Torrence; and brother, Sam Torrence and his wife, Juleann, of Dothan, AL. The memorial service with military honors will be held Saturday, December 13, 2008, at 2:00 P.M. at J. HENRY STUHR, INC., NORTHWOODS CHAPEL, 2180 Greenridge Road, North Charleston. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the American Lung Association of SC, 409 King Street, Suite 300, Charleston, SC 29403. A memorial message may be written to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.charleston.net/deaths.