ROCKLAND — David Lawrence Harper passed on peacefully July 31, 2014, to be with Jesus our Lord and Savior, at Quarry Hill in Camden. He was surrounded by his loved ones. He will be sadly missed by his family and friends.

Born in Thomaston on Oct. 7, 1942, he was the son of Wilbert L. and Gwendolyn Eastman Harper. He attended Thomaston grade schools and graduated as valedictorian from Thomaston High School class of 1961. He attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick for two years.

In June 1964, David enlisted in the U.S. Navy and completed basic training at the Great Lakes Training Center in Illinois, and also at the Naval Training Center in Bainbridge, Md., to become a communication technician security grade, Class A yeoman. He then served with the Security Group Detachment Staff in Newport, R.I., from November 1964 to August 1965. He was assigned to Naval Security Group Activity Operations in Winter Harbor, where he served until September 1967. In October 1967, he shipped out aboard the USS Georgetown, based in Norfolk, Va. The Georgetown was a sister ship to the USS Liberty. In 1967, the USS Georgetown was gathering intelligence off the coast of Eqypt, a potentially dangerous situation, under protection of the US Navy Aircraft of the Navy's Sixth Fleet. Ships of this class, which included the USS Pueblo, were targets because of their intelligence gathering capabilities and because they were minimally armed. After several tours of duty to various parts of the world, David was honorably discharged and received several commendations and medals, including the National Defense Service Medal and Good Conduct Award. He achieved the rank of cryptologic administrative petty officer first class.

Upon his return to civilian life, David was hired at Marine Colloids Inc., in Rockland. During this time David advanced in his career, taking independent study courses in advanced chemistry at Ohio University in Athens, and completed a degree in chemistry, as well as taking other educational courses. He worked in research and development on new products and applications; authored and co-authored several publications and contributed to several patents. Within the company, he was known as the "electrophoresis and IEF agarose expert." He mentored junior personnel during his career contributing to their personal growth and success. He was sought after for his knowledge and spent hours explaining agarose chemistry. It was said of David: "He never tired, even when asked the same questions time and again." His colleagues remember him for his wit, kindness and vast knowledge. Marine Colloids was a division of FMC Bioproducts, which then became Biowhittaker, then Cambrex Corporation and in 2007, Cambrex became a part of Lonza International Group. David left the company in 2012, as a senior chemist, essentially working for the same company for more than 40 years. He retired due to health reasons, but was able to spend the last two years of his retirement at home.

David was predeceased by his wife, Mary Harper, in 1999; by his father and mother; and his stepfather, Roger Miller. He leaves two sisters, Joanne (Harper) Mahan and her husband, Edmond, of Salem, N.H., and Rita (Harper) Stump of Warren and her companion, John Ware Sr., of Owls Head; two stepdaughters, Theresa Patten and her companion, Robert Farrar, of Morrill, and Wanda Chipman of Rockland; a stepson, Rick Taylor and his wife, Tina, of Germany; one aunt, Pat Eastman of Scarborough; one niece, Sherri (Brewer) Kneeland and her husband, John, of Salem, N.H.; three nephews, Richard Tuttle of Raynham, Mass., Stephen Tuttle of Cushing and Scott Brewer and his wife, Staci, of Sugar Hill, Ga.; his cousins, Leslie “Sunny” Eastman Russell and her husband, Jesse, of Freeport, Beth Eastman Bowne and her husband, Jim, of Scarborough, Donna Richards Brown and her husband, Robert, of Friendship, Stirling “Stu” Thompson and his wife, Dottie, of Linwood, Mass., and Robert “Bob” Haskell of Cushing; as well as great-nieces, great-nephews, step-grandchildren and step great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock St. in Rockland. The Rev. Wayne Sawyer will officiate. Interment with military honors will follow at the Coughlin Memorial Cemetery on Rankin Street in Rockland.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Bob Gagnon Cancer Fund, c/o PenBay Healthcare, 22 White St., Rockland, ME 04841; or Kno-Wal-Lin Homecare and Hospice, 170 Pleasant St., Rockland, ME 04841.