* Harold S. Stone; Retired TV Network Engineer

Harold S. Stone, a retired CBS engineer from Newbury Park, who worked on early television programs such as “The Red Skelton Show” and “My Friend Irma,” died late Friday after a battle with cancer. He was 82.

During his 25-year tenure at CBS that began in 1948, Stone worked the engineering panel for other live shows including “The Al Jarvis Show,” “Playhouse 90” and “The Bob Crosby Show,” said his wife of 55 years, Rose.

Among other things, Stone was in charge of the moment-to-moment changes of lighting and picture quality.

“Everything was filmed live,” Rose said. “If you made a mistake, boy, it was a mistake that showed. It was a whole different ballgame in those days.”

Harold Stone also served in the Navy as a radio engineer during World War II. He and Rose had two children, Linda Androlia, 52, of Malibu and Jeffrey Stone, 49, of Maui, Hawaii.

When Harold retired in 1973, the couple moved from North Hollywood to Newbury Park. Harold was an active member of the American Jewish War Veterans in Thousand Oaks and volunteered in the X-ray department at a local Kaiser Permanente Hospital.

He also was a computer whiz and an excellent tennis player, Rose said.

“He was a brilliant man,” she said. “He had a very fine mind. He was also a great-looking guy, very handsome.”

Three years ago, Harold was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and bladder. His cancer went into remission for several years, but materialized again five weeks ago and spread to his brain.

He died at midnight Friday at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Rose said. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren, Adam, 14, and Whitney, 12, of Malibu, and Kai, 18 months, of Maui.

A memorial service will be held for Stone at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks chapel, followed by a private burial.