Harold M. Heggestad, 78, of Bedford, died on August 13, 2016, after a lengthy illness, surrounded by family.

Born in Starbuck, Minnesota, he was the son of the late Martin and Marian (Steffen) Heggestad and brother of the late Merlin Heggestad.

He was a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he earned bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering, with a research topic in laser communications.

He was a member of the Technical Staff at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory from 1962 until his retirement in 2007. In 1985, he was promoted to a Group Leader position in the Machine Intelligence Technology program. In 2003, he was appointed to Senior Staff at the Laboratory. His expertise was in laser communications, satellite communications, machine intelligence and advanced radar technology. In 1969, he and his family spent a two-year tour at the Lincoln Laboratory test site at Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands of the South Pacific. Harold was a key member of the team that demonstrated the ALCOR radar, the world's first long-range wideband radar. Wideband operation is now an important feature in modern defense system radars.

While at MIT, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served from 1958 until 1964 and was honorably discharged with a rank of Ensign.

A Bedford resident for the past 46 years, he was an avid reader and enjoyed fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, cross country skiing and woodworking. He was a lifetime member of the Woburn Sportsmen's Association, and was also a member of Tau Beta Pi, SigmaXl, AIAA (American Institute of Aeronatics and Anstronautics, IEEE and the New England Woodcarvers, Inc.

Hal loved traveling and took many exciting trips with his wife. Some of their favorite trips were to Norway, the American National Parks and a Disney Cruise in the Mediterranean Sea with their grandchildren.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 54 years, Barbara, his children and their spouses, Martin Heggestad and Paul Haebig of Michigan, David Heggestad and Kathy Wilson of Lexington, and Lauren Heggestad Dillon and Christopher of Concord, three grandchildren, Timothy, Jeffrey and Katie, his sister, Lorraine Drews and her husband Gerald of Minnesota, brother-in-law Dan Skuret and wife Marcia of Connecticut, sister-in-law, Helene Sutfin of Connecticut, and nieces and nephews.

His funeral will be held from the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Rd., Bedford, on Sat., Aug. 20, at 8:00 A.M. followed by a funeral Mass in St. Michael Church, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford, at 9:00 A.M. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Fri., Aug. 19, from 4:00 to 8:00 P.M.

Burial will be in Shawsheen Cemetery in Bedford.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Parkinson's Foundation, 200 SE 1st St., Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or at www.parkinson.org.