Washington, Utah - On April 16, 2022, Harlan Michael "Mike" Willson passed peacefully in his sleep at home in Washington, Utah. He was born in Marshall, Texas on January 14, 1938, to Allan Harte Burbage and Elizabeth Gertrude Matthews. He spent his early years in Marshall before eventually moving to Santa Barbara, California in 1947 with his mother and Stepfather, Lawrence S. Willson.

He attended McKinley elementary school, SB Jr. High School and SB High School, graduating in 1956. After high school, he enlisted in the USAF. He was trained in electronics and worked on radar and fire/weapon control systems. Mike subsequently worked for General Electric for which he traveled and worked up and down the East coast as well Clear, Alaska where he was stationed at a research facility for one year. He eventually moved back to Santa Barbara in 1962 where he took a job with SB Research Center in Goleta, CA. He worked there from 1963-1993. He moved to Lompoc, CA in 1986 and retired from SB Research Center in 1993.

On December 24, 1983, he married Shirley Jean Fazio, whom he considered his soulmate. They eventually settled in St. George, UT in 2001. He was residing in Washington, Utah with his wife and beloved dog, Bob, at the time of his death. Shirley has two children, Chris L. (San Leandro, CA) and Schelly L. Young (Grand Junction, CO).

Mike was an intelligent and creative person. He enjoyed the technical aspects of his electronics job as well as being an accomplished artist on canvas, sculpture, and several other mediums. He was a perfectionist with whatever he put his mind to. After retirement, he learned fine knifemaking and was recognized as a handle artisan for his unusual and beautiful knife handles. He was also sought out for his chrome plating of engine parts among other items. His love of older cars was evident from a young age. He enjoyed restoring classic and hot rod cars much of his life. The Flathead Shop was a column he had in Car and Driver and Hot Rod magazines to help other classic car lovers find parts for 1932-1948 Fords. He had a 1937 Ford truck he worked on for years and enjoyed driving. His most recent projects were a series of open modified roadsters which he kept in tip top condition.

Besides his wife Shirley, Mike is survived by his brother, Peter L. Willson (Santa Barbara); daughter, Ann Boone (Craig) and grandchildren: Bryana and Conor Boone (Lexington, KY); son, Larry Willson (Ventura) and granddaughters: Harmony and Brittany Willson (Santa Barbara); and step-grandchildren: Colton L. (Redwood, CA) and Amy M. Young (San Leandro, CA). He also had numerous friends and colleagues who touched his life over the years that he remembered fondly.