Obituaries : Harmon R. Bennett; Former City Manager

Harmon R. Bennett, who served as Burbank city manager from 1953-1965, has died at a Burbank hospital. He was 91.

A longtime Burbank resident, Bennett died Wednesday of a stroke, said his wife, Beulah V. Bennett.

Born in Los Angeles, Bennett graduated from Pomona High School and attended Pomona College. In his first jobs, he served as deputy surveyor for Ventura County and as an assistant civil engineer for the cities of Pomona, Oxnard and Glendale.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Southern California School of Public Administration in 1940. Two years later he began working as Burbank’s city engineer and superintendent of streets.

Bennett became the city’s first planning director in 1946. In 1953, he was named city manager pro tem after the city manager at the time, Edgar Friedrich, suffered a heart attack. A few months later, Bennett was appointed city manager.

Bennett was instrumental in a 10-year capital-improvement plan that resulted in construction of projects including the Burbank Central Library, three fire stations, the police station, De Bell Municipal Golf Course, McCambridge Park Recreation Building and swimming pool, and three railroad overpasses.

He served as president of several organizations, including the Burbank Optimist Club, Burbank Community Concerts, Los Angeles City and County Engineers Assn. and State Planners Assn. Bennett had also been a board member of the Burbank Community Hospital for 16 years and a member of the Hollywood First Presbyterian Church.

In addition to his wife of 69 years, Bennett is survived by his sister, Mabel Bennett of Alhambra, and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service, with burial to follow, is scheduled for today at 2:30 p.m. at Church of the Hills at Forest Lawn Mortuary, 6700 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills. Forest Lawn Mortuary, Hollywood Hills, is handling the arrangements. Donations can be made in Bennett’s name to Let God Love You Ministries.