Mr. Robert Lee “R.L.” Harmon, 76, of 3710 Buckeye Road, Sugar Grove, N.C., died Tuesday morning, May 11, 2004, at home.
He was born Jan. 15, 1928, in the Beech Creek community of Avery County, to the late Wiley Smith Harmon and Carrie Palmer Harmon.
Mr. Harmon graduated from Cranberry High School and attended Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk.
He retired from the North Carolina Community Service for Mental Health as co-ordinator for Watauga and Avery counties and was also a heavy equipment operator.
He was a member of Beech Valley Baptist Church where he formerly served as a Sunday school teacher.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Grace Winters Harmon; one daughter, Sharon Rice and husband, Joel, of Chicago, Illinois; two sons, Ricky Harmon and wife, Kim; and Bobby Harmon and wife, Lisa, all of Sugar Grove; three granddaughters, Melody Harmon, Carrie Harmon and Alissa Harmon, all of Sugar Grove; two grandsons, Christopher Rice and Jonathan Rice, both of Chicago; two step-grandsons, Devan Lewis and Kristopher Blevins; and one sister, Margie Harmon, all of Sugar Grove.
He is also survived by a number of cousins, including a special cousin, Betty Stansberry.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Reed Harmon.
Services will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Beech Valley Baptist Church, with the Rev. Bill Warren and the Rev. Ray Greene officiating. Burial will follow in the Beech Creek Community Cemetery.
Friends may call at the Harmon residence in Sugar Grove at any time.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Beech Creek Community Cemetery Fund, in care of Bobby Harmon, P.O. Box 273, Sugar Grove, N.C. 28679.
Hampton Funeral Service is in charge of the arrangements.