Hap was soft spoken with words chosen wisely.

Hamilton (Hap) Barhydt was born in New Haven, Connecticut  to Steele Kissam Barhydt and Kathrine Hamilton on November 4, 1928.

Hap earned a BS in physics from Yale and a PhD in engineering physics from Cornell.  At the Hughes Aircraft Company he worked on the development of guided missiles and infrared imaging systems, then twenty-nine years of innovation in electro-optics.  While with Hughes Aircraft he designed the Fledgling Missile Torque; invented Flirs; and was the first Space Sensor Systems Prime Manager.  Hap was a prolific technical author and virtuoso letter writer.

As the Vietnamese War wound down, he began to question the morality of his work, and found writing poetry to be an effective tool for his search of his connection to the universe. 

His search continued with the Association of Humanistic Psychology in 1975 and at the Ken Keyes, Jr. Institute, Cornucopia, where he met me, Elizabeth.  We were married on October 10, 1978.

• 1979-1980 We studied at the “The Healing Light Center”, founded by Rev. Rosalyn Bruyere.  She inspired us to take the the Chi-0ps cruise to the Eastern Mediterranean to visit many holistic places opening new doors to inner perception. This cruise encouraged Hap to keep a journal which came out in prose and poetry as a means of learning what life was all about and how best to live it. He self-published collections of these writings, including Voyage of a Lifetime and Word Impressions.

In 1980 Hap and Elizabeth co-founded Loving Life, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to research and teaching in touch healing.  We were both Life members and Instructors of TFHKA.  He and I served as Faculty members in 1990. 

Hap wrote many articles and formatted and edited the TFH journals for many years. Together they studied TFH, Educational Kinesiology, Applied Physiology and PKP. Several of our articles were published in Italian, French and Spanish Journals. We taught our self-help techniques in thirteen countries, including Russia.  We lived in a motor home for 7 years sharing our knowledge, our caring and our self-help techniques.

We established a home in Groveland, CA in the foothills of Sierra Nevada, just twenty miles from the gate of Yosemite National Park.  Hap summited over 150 mountains with elevations from 5,000 to 14,000 feet.  These experiences prepared him to write a guidebook describing 40 hikes in the Groveland California area just outside the Yosemite National Park. Typical of his generosity, Hap donated the book and its proceeds to the Sierra Club.

1996 brought the diagnosis of Parkinson’s.  Both Hap and I started to learn as much as possible about the disease and concluded that his symptoms had begun about ten years prior.  We sought out every alternative option known, from Nevada to Florida to New York and California.  Then, in 1997 we moved to Reno, NV; 2005 to Henderson, NV for better Parkinson’s treatments.

In 2006 an anthology of Hap’s poems were published in The Write Stuff Anthem Authors’ Club. 

He also co-authored three books with Elizabeth.  How to Relieve Stress, Pain and Learning Blocks Naturally without Drugs; Accurate Muscle Testing for Foods and Supplements; Children’s Self-Help, Improving Performance and Building Self-Esteem.

In June 2002 I suggested to Hap that I would like to walk the Honolulu Marathon in December. He was excited and stated he would like to walk the 10K 6.2 miles. At this time he was still shuffling his feet and walking was a struggle. I started walking with him and stopped at every block to use the Barhydt muscle balancing techniques. His walking improved! His doctor noticed he was not shuffling his feet anymore. We had participated in the Reno Journal Jog 5 mile walk in August, 2002. Hap came in last but had a cheering section waiting for him. He was interviewed for an article in the paper, Runner with Parkinson’s did not miss a step.  

We attended the 2006 TFHKA Conference in Cincinnati.  Hap updated a paper which appeared in the Journal of that year.  Later that year he reported that his left leg was getting weak and he was experiencing stress in his lower abdomen.

In January of 2007 Hap requested that we renew our wedding vows, which we did on June 24^th. Then, March 5, 2007 a diagnosis of prostate cancer – prognosis of three to six months.  By May the cancer had progressed throughout his body.

August 12, 2007, I had my last conversation with Hap. I said goodbye to Hap assuring him that now God would be his new partner.  Hap had tears in his eyes, tears which assured me that he heard what I said. Then I read to him this last poem from his journal, Voyage of a Lifetime written in 1980...

Surrender, the Final Game

by Hamilton Barhydt

Who am I to write these words?

What do I choose to make of myself?

Where are the ego traps? What am I?

But a bit of dust amongst the multitudes.

Another soul, a nucleus of divine energy

Looking for a connection with the whole.

Sharing these words with power, love, humility,

As what comes through, inspired from within

As part of our common heritage and experience.

Continuing to learn to love myself and others

Unconditionally---- without need to change,

The ultimate form of love in surrender.

Continuing to carry out my daily tasks

Moving from moment to moment, fully aware,

Just doing whatever needs to be done.

Each makes their own unique contribution

Guided by their needs and capabilities.

No need to be special, what’s done is done.

This memorial is offered in love from Hap’s heart partner,

Elizabeth Barhydt

___________________________