UCLA Athletics Mourns the Loss of Lawrence Harding
October 25, 2018 | Baseball
UCLA Athletics mourns the loss of former baseball player Lawrence "Wayne" Harding, who passed away on Monday, Oct. 23, 2018 at the age of 92 years old.
Wayne Harding was born in Santa Monica in 1926 and lived there until his passing. He was predeceased by his parents, Palmer and Pauline, and his brother, Gene, and is survived by his wife, Dixie; sons Larry, Chris and Mark; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great grandchildren.
Harding graduated from Santa Monica High School in February 1945, excelling in football and baseball while serving as student body president. He was named All-Bay League and All-CIF in both his junior and senior seasons. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Merchant Marine, serving on ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the closing months of World War II.
He and his high school sweetheart, "Dixie" Lonsdale Harding, were married nearly 72 years.
After the war, Warding attended Santa Monica College before enrolling at UCLA, where he played as a left-handed slugging first baseman. In 1998, he was inducted into the UCLA Baseball Hall of Fame. His love of baseball lasted throughout his life, and in recent years he could be found at Jackie Robinson Stadium watching his beloved Bruins play, including during the run-up to the program's first National Championship in 2013.
Harding was a successful businessman who owned a car dealership in Santa Monica for over 40 years. He was an active member of his community, serving in the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and as a two-year president of the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club.
Private services for family only will be followed by internment at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in memory of Harding to the Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club (1220 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401) or UCLA Foundation/UCLA Baseball (UCLA Athletics Development, PO Box 24044, Los Angeles, CA 90024).