Harold Lee Yarger

Harold Lee Yarger, age 85, passed away on February 24, 2026, at his home in Seguin,Texas.

Harold was born March 15, 1940, in Ypsilanti Michigan. He was the first child of James O. Yarger and Marian J. (Downing) Yarger. After growing up on farms in Michigan and Virginia he graduated from George Mason High School in Falls Church Virginia and then attended Antioch College. While in graduate school at Stony Brook University he met and married his wife, Linda. After obtaining his PhD in Physics Harold worked in a postdoctoral position at Northwestern University. His PhD thesis and his postdoctoral work were both in high energy physics. In 1969, Harold accepted a position at the University of Kansas. While at Kansas, he changed his career focus to geophysics and held a joint appointment at the Kansas Geological Survey and the Univ of Kansas. At the University of Kansas, he taught classes in physics, gravity and magnetics. Highlights of his time at the Kansas Geological Survey include publication of both an aeromagnetic and a gravity map of the state. He was responsible for a Skylab experiment which determined water quality in reservoirs via satellite measurements.

Harold and Linda raised their three children in Lawrence, Kansas, a town known for its history, sports and cultural events. Harold enjoyed attending KU basketball games and belonging to a university runner’s group called the Mad Dogs (named for Rudyard Kipling’s “Mad dogs and Englishmen run in the noon day sun”). In 1986 Harold again changed careers when he went to work for Chevron. The family moved to Denver, a good destination since Linda’s sister lived close by. At Chevron Harold was a senior scientist who contributed to oil exploration by using his expertise with gravity data and mapping. Harold and family moved to Houston in 1990, where he spent his remaining oil and gas career working in Chevron’s Houston and New Orleans’ offices. Harold was an associate editor for the journal Geophysics, a flagship journal of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Running was a huge part of Harold’s life; many of his best friends were runners. He competed in twenty plus marathons, including the Boston Marathon, and the Chevron sponsored Houston Marathon. For many years, he recruited and supervised volunteers for the Houston Marathon registration day. Family gatherings with his children and grandchildren were greatly cherished, including trips to the beach and to snowy places such as Mount Hood. Harold loved to compete whether it was running, shooting hoops, playing poker, horseshoes or ping pong. He loved vanilla ice cream, coffee and telling small world stories. After retirement, Harold and Linda enjoyed spending time with family and traveling in the U.S. and abroad.

Harold was a quiet and kind man with an analytical mind and loved routines. Harold prepared breakfast for the family every morning, which included his announcing, “FORMAL breakfast – acknowledge” to which we responded “acknowledge!” With his steady demeanor, Harold’s love for his family was always obvious. He will be greatly missed by Linda, his children, grandchildren and many others.

Harold is preceded in death by his brother, Allen Paul Yarger. Surviving is his wife of 60 years, Linda Yarger; children Ardis (David) Eveld, Rachel Yarger (Brad Meyer) and Stephen (Kim) Yarger; grandchildren: James Eveld, Anneliese (Evan) Reilly, Will Eveld, Claire Meyer, Haven Meyer, Ella Meyer, Charlsie Yarger and Harrison Yarger; great-grandchild, Isla Reilly; nephew and nieces: Cody Yarger, Jessica Yarger, Kirsten Saucedo, Kelly Rittenhouse and Tasha Mendez.

The recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church in Seguin, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. with the Reverend Canon Stanislaw Fiuk officiating. A reception will follow in the Parrish Hall. After the reception, graveside services and interment will be held at 2 p.m. in the Santa Clara Cemetery near Seguin with the Reverend Josh Randria Mihari Manana officiating.

The services may be live-streamed at https://s3-us-east-2.amazonaws.com/mf-fwp/hewell/hewell_20260314.html