Posted by Newspaper Transcriber on Saturday, October 21, 2006 at 14:28:14 :

Douglas Mark Lemon

Douglas Mark Lemon, a 33-year Coastside resident, died May 29 at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in San Francisco, due to heart failure following bypass surgery. He was 67.

Mr. Lemon was born in Phoenix, Ariz., and grew up there on his father's cotton farm. He left high school to join the Air Force, where he became a radar maintenance technician. Over his three years of service he served in Mississippi, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Arizona.

After his time in the Air Force, he went to work for the Arizona Public Service. He also worked for Motorola, and then for nine years with Federal Electric, where he worked with radar equipment on NASA Liberty and Victory ships.

He also accrued more NASA certifications than any other technician in the Western range, said his son, Matthew Lemon of Waxahachie, Texas. "He was constantly going to school," said his son.

He married his wife, Maxine, in 1961. The couple remained married for 32 years, and had two children, before divorcing in 1993.

In 1969 Mr. Lemon came to the Coastside to go to work at the Air Force tracking station above Pillar Point Harbor, in telemetry and computer maintenance. He continued working for the tracking station until retiring in 2000.

Mr. Lemon "could be a charming man, or he could be a gruff man," said his son. He described his father as "staunchly liberal, a staunch Democrat" who could be strongly opinionated and "infuriating at times." He was someone who spoke his mind.

"What you saw was what you got," said his son.

"Despite his faults, he had a good heart," said Mr. Lemon's son. "He kept his word. If you asked him to do a job, he would do it. He was willing to help his friends."

Mr. Lemon is preceded in death by his daughter, Mindi Gabli, who died in 2003. He is survived by his ex-wife, Maxine Lemon, of Moss Beach, his son Matthew Lemon of Waxahachie, Texas, a brother, Carl Lemon of El Granada and a sister, Joan LeGrand of Pismo Beach.

Private services for Mr. Lemon were held June 10.

Half Moon Bay Review and Pescadero Pebble, Wednesday, June 28, 2006