Nick Harder served near and far
The Register's Home columnist escaped imprisonment in the Vietnam War and helped others survive everyday pitfalls.

The Vietnam War was ramping up when Nick Harder left college to join the Marines. He served in the Special Forces and became something of a documentarian, shooting pictures from the bellies of helicopters, envisioning a career in photojournalism.

Then Harder was captured. Imprisoned in a bamboo cage perched perilously, and agonizingly, in water, he forced himself to remain constantly awake to keep death at bay. He had to escape, or he would die. But how?

Harder used the only weapon he had left: his teeth. He chewed at the bars of his cage until they gave way and he could slip from his captors' grip. His teeth were ruined. He required extensive dentistry. He contracted malaria. But he was the only member of his group to survive, and he would take sleeping pills every night for the rest of his life to keep the awful nightmares away.

Home-improvement writer Harder, 61, died early Tuesday at Mission Hospital after a different kind of battle for his life. The columnist and reporter for The Orange County Register and Orange County Home magazine had been in fragile health for some time: He had diabetes, then suffered a heart attack in October and had a triple bypass. He contracted a stubborn staph infection, and his medications made him nauseated. He grew weaker. He was admitted to Mission Hospital on Monday and died early Tuesday.

The journey from jungle to journalist infused Harder's work, and life, with a certain sobriety. After the Marines, he studied journalism at Northern Illinois University, worked at Chicago area papers and came west, becoming one of America's first home-repair columnists.

He was a contemporary of Bob Vila and Norm Abram, who helped popularize home improvement more than two decades ago with television's pioneering "This Old House," and even after gaining celebrity, they eagerly took Nick's calls.

His columns were, almost literally, his life.

After he got a new dog, a terrier he named Pirate for its black eye patch, he shared tips on puppy-proofing. After his water pipes burst, he detailed how to install wood floors. When he began using a wheelchair, he shared insights on installing temporary ramps.

His folksy wisdom on everything from creating a nursery for the new baby to choosing the right type of toilet made his one of the most widely read columns in the newspaper. He would get so involved in people's problems or projects that he would meet them at the hardware store to dispense guidance firsthand. He was a professional house snoop, his wife, Wendy, said, and he loved talking shop about renovations, trials and tribulations. Harder designed the family's home on the shore of Lake Mission Viejo. "I refinished that deck in 6 1/2 hours," he would boast to guests.

Harder's lighter side blossomed upon meeting Wendy. It was 1984. He was editor of the Fullerton Tribune; she was an anchor and producer for KOCE-TV's "NewsCheck." They ran into each other at an Orange County Press Club tennis tournament and arranged to play a few days later. Then they went sailing on Lake Mission Viejo, and a big wind came up, dumping them into the chilly water as Harder's wallet sank to the bottom. On their third date, Harder asked Wendy to marry him. They wed six months later.

The price of love, friend Orman Day said, was having to wear stockings in public. Wendy loved folk dancing, and soon the 6-foot-4-inch Harder found himself in lederhosen and boots at Oktoberfests. He said he did it "for love," but he knew he looked great in lederhosen, Wendy said.

Parties at the Harder house became famous. People flew in especially for the Fourth of July extravaganza, and Harder would appear in full costume for Renaissance-style Christmas parties that made guests felt as if they had stepped into Fezziwig's ball from Dickens' "David Copperfield."

Harder was known around the office for his thunderous greetings – "Morning, troops!" – and his good news sense and generous nature with his time and money.

When a proposal was made to install a plaque honoring veterans at the foot of the flagpole in front of the Register, Harder kicked in several hundred dollars from his own pocket to ensure it became a reality. He never wanted anyone to know.

Flying above the Harder house is an American flag, attached to the most enormous flagpole Harder could find. When Harder noticed that the gold ball atop the flagpole was gone, he and neighbor Al Hicks jury-rigged a pulley system; Hicks pulled until Harder was suspended about 50 feet in the air and could replace the gold ball. It delighted the Hickses when their home travails would end up as Harder's columns, and they kidded him about wanting residuals.

Harder received three Purple Hearts for his service in Vietnam. Two he gave away to children he saw playing soldier.

Harder is survived by wife, Wendy; son, Jonathan; parents, Libby and Russell Harder; brother, Bill; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at Mount of Olives Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo, 24772 Chrisanta Drive. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to The ROCK Youth Center, 24772 Chrisanta Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92691.