Richard Doede Harms passed away peacefully at home from heart complications Monday, January 22, 2024. Rich was born July 26, 1935 in Maple Island, MN to Dick and Louise (Dohrmann) Harms, the fourth of six children and the first son of a strong German family. He loved his parents and the example they set for the family. He graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1953 and in 1954 enlisted in the US Air Force stationed at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. In 1957 he pursued a college degree in natural resources management and graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1961. He worked for the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management in Roseburg, Tillamook and Vale Oregon; then Dillon Montana where he was Area Manager. He was chosen to open the first BLM substation office in Cottonwood, Idaho - Chief Joseph Resource Area in 1974. He set up the office from scratch and hired a team of foresters, engineers, river rangers, range conservationists, archaeologists and biologists. In 1981 he transferred to MN to be nearer his aging parents and headed the BLM office in the Federal Building in Duluth, MN. It was here he met the love of his life, Charlene. When they closed the Duluth office in August 1983, Rich retired from the federal government. He dabbled in real estate for a while and then became the District Manager for the South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District retiring in July 1998. Rich trained and supervised many natural resource employees throughout his career.