Harmon, William
HARMON, William Franklin
High Point, NC
On April 1, 2022, William Franklin Harmon, much loved husband, father and grandfather, died at the age of 85 at home on Otteray Avenue in High Point, North Carolina.
Born on November 21, 1936 in Columbus, Georgia to Frank and Mary "Tuny" (Riehle) Harmon, Bill grew up in nearby Warm Springs where his father worked at FDR's Warm Springs Foundation. When Bill was in high school, the family, which by then included his younger sisters Mary and Allyson, had moved to Lullwater Road in Atlanta.
Bill attended high school at Baylor Military Prep in Chattanooga where he earned numerous marksmanship awards. He received his engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1960 and was a member of ATO fraternity. After graduation he served in the US Army and was stationed at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, which led to a successful career in aerospace marketing.
On September 23, 1961, he married Tinka Priesmeyer. They raised two children, Will and Leah, moving between Orlando, Huntsville, Greenville, SC, Arlington, TX, Mendham, NJ, North Andover, MA, the island of St. Kitts and finally back to Atlanta before their divorce in 1990.
Bill was remarried in 1992 to Karen Hawkins with whom he remained for the rest of his life. Together they moved between Atlanta, Shell Point in Florida and the mountains of western North Carolina, living both in and near Asheville. In recent months they relocated to High Point to be closer to family.
In his retirement with Karen, Bill worked at restoring a vintage Hatteras yacht, learning the art of woodturning, and selling his wares at craft shows. He further enjoyed volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and regular meetings with a local ham radio club. Bill was known for his sharp mind, his quick wit, and his kind and gentle spirit. He easily won the hearts of all who came to know him.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Mary, his son Will and stepdaughter Betsy. He is survived by his wife Karen, his daughter Leah Harmon Bachman (husband John), stepson Tom Hawkins (wife Mikki), sister Allyson Harmon Stone (husband Wiley and son Christopher), and grandchildren Carson Shaw, Kristin, Kelly, Courtney, Clare and Emma Bachman, and Grant and Maddie Hawkins.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity. Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.cumbyfuneral.com.
Cumby Family Funeral Service, High Point, NC.
View the obituary on Legacy.com
Funeral Home Information
Cumby Family Funeral Service
1015 Eastchester Drive
High Point, NC
27262
https://www.cumbyfuneral.com/?utm_campaign=legacytraffic&utm_source=legacy&utm_medium=referral
