Harald Wilhelmsen, 84, a longtime resident of Heald Road in Carlisle, passed away Monday, October 30, 2023 from complications of a heart attack earlier in the month.

Born in Asker, Norway on July 11, 1939, Harald was the youngest of three sons of Jørgen R. Wilhelmsen and Gerda (Landgraff) Wilhelmsen.

Interested in aviation from a young age, Harald immigrated to the United States in 1959 and quickly enlisted in the United States Air Force as an aircraft radio repairman. He trained at Lackland AFB, TX and Keesler AFB, MS before reaching his duty station at Pope AFB, NC. He was honorably discharged in 1963. After the Air Force, Harald attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating in 1968 with his S.B. in Electrical Engineering. In 1981, he received his S.M. in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.

Harald moved to Carlisle, MA in 1968 after graduating from MIT and subsequently spent his entire career in engineering research and development, which took him through tours at Ion Physics, Sperry-Rand Research Center, and GTE. But he spent the vast majority of his career at MIT Lincoln Laboratory which he joined in 1981. He focused on electrical engineering and physics-related R&D, including concept development and analysis, algorithm development and validation, and systems analysis and experimentation. His work included evaluating concepts for space- and land-based strategic defenses and analysis and experiments related to nuclear weapons effects on antennae, transmission lines, electronic components and equipment. He spent the last part of his career working on the Runway Status Light System, a fully automatic advisory system designed to reduce the number and severity of incursions and prevent incidents on airport runways.

His hobbies and interests included a mutual love of genealogy with his wife Elizabeth, which resulted in many hours of research and trips to locate lost relatives, even finding the resting place of his "missing" great grandmother in Fergus Falls, MN. He loved nature, gardening, music, and history and spent countless hours hiking, tending his roses and apple trees, researching and eating antique varieties of apples, listening to jazz, and reading WWII history. He further occupied his time with endless projects on both of his houses in Carlisle and Chatham, even designing with his wife an addition to the Carlisle house that was completed in 1984. He also was a proud member of the Sons of Norway - Norumbega Lodge.

Harald was preceded in death by first wife, Mary (O'Hanrahan) Wilhelmsen, and his brother Kåre Wilhelmsen. He is survived by his beloved wife of 45 years, Elizabeth Ann (Smith) Wilhelmsen; son Jon Wilhelmsen and wife Ann Sobolewski of Plympton, MA; son Hans Wilhelmsen of Somerville, MA; grandchildren Christian and Brendan of Plympton; brother Svein Erik Wilhelmsen of Asker, Norway; nephew Jørgen and niece Ingeborg.

Family and friends are invited to gather for visiting hours on Friday, November 3rd from 4 to 7 pm at Dee Funeral Home, 27 Bedford Street, Concord Center. His funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 4th at 11 am in Lutheran Church of the Savior, 426 Davis Road, Bedford. Burial will follow with U.S. Air Force military honors at Green Cemetery, Carlisle.

To watch Harald's recorded funeral service, please access the following link: https://youtu.be/ICxzXUqYcEo .

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Lutheran Church of the Savior , 426 Davis Road, Bedford, Massachusetts, 01730 or Doctors without Boarders .

Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.