William Howard Harper

Will Harper of North Augusta passed away with family by his side on October 23, 2020.  He was born on August 2, 1932 in Elba, AL to Fredrick Marion and Flossie McEntyre Harper, the third of three sons along with brothers Fred and John.  He graduated from Auburn University in 1954 where he was member of Theta 

Chi fraternity.  He spent his entire career with Crawford and Company, serving in Florence, SC, Ashville, NC, and retiring after 25 years as Manager of the Augusta office.

Will is survived by his wife of 62 years, Kathryn Kelly (Tinka) Harper, his sons Skip, Chris and Mark, their wives, Jeanine Fuqua Harper, Buffie Bell Harper, and Stacey Platt Harper, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.  Will and Tinka have been active and faithful members of Grace Methodist Church since 1958 when they were married there, and where he served on various committees throughout the years.

Will loved his community and served it through his involvement with the Jaycees, the Sertoma Club, and his church.  He was the past president of the Augusta Claims Association and past president of the Cokesbury Sunday School Class.  He was a charter member of the North Augusta and Mount Vintage Country Clubs.

Will was an avid and accomplished outdoorsman and spent much of his free time in the field or on the water with family and friends.  He was a crack rifle shot and great wingshot.  Into his early 80’s, he was usually the first man off the dove field.  His favorite pastime was quail hunting, and over the years he had many fine setters, pointers and retrievers. He passed this love of the great outdoors to his sons and grandchildren.  He was a competitive golfer and could shoot his age throughout his 70’s.  Tinka, Will and the boys enjoyed many memorable rounds together.

He was rooted in the land and planted a large vegetable garden every year.  Later in life, he could be found on his riding lawn mower or picking up pine cones in their large yard.  His favorite place was “Sansea”, his family’s beach house on Panama City Beach, the site of seemingly endless summer vacations.

A celebration of Will’s life will be held at a graveside service on Tuesday, October 27 at 2:00 p.m. at Pineview Memorial Gardens in North Augusta.  Reverend Tommy Wilkes, III will officiate.  Due to Covid restrictions, there will not be a visitation or a gathering of friends afterward.

The family sends our sincerest thanks to Arbor Terrace Memory Care in Marietta, GA, where Will received outstanding care and compassion over the last seven months.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta 639 Georgia Ave. North Augusta, SC 29841.

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