Mathew Harman

Mathew Harman, 76, of Pineville, passed away October 23, 2015, in Hubbard Hospice House, South Charleston, after a two-month illness. Mathew was born on March 20, 1939, to Thomas and Nettie Mae Bowman Harman of Leckie, WV. He was the fourth child for the Harman family.

Mathew was preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Nettie, sister Margie Johnson (RC) and brothers William Harman, Bobby Lee Harman, Clarence Winebarger, Jr., Brother-in-law, Bill Hopkins, and nephew, Billy Hopkins.

Mathew grew up in Leckie Hollow and went to school at Anawalt Elementary and Gary High School. He joined the Air Force just before graduating. While stationed in Spokane, Washington, at Fairchild Air Force Base, Mathew met his future wife, Joyce Miller, from Salmon, Idaho. When Mathew was transferred from Spokane to Puerto Rico, Joyce moved to Alexandria, VA, to work until Mathew left the Air Force. They were married in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 17, 1966. The couple moved to Gary, WV, where Mathew began working for US Steel in the coal tipple.

Mathew is survived by his siblings: George Harman (Aurelia) of Leckie, Louise Harman Hopkins of Gary, Frank Harman of Jenkin Jones, Shirley Woolridge (Pete) of Skygusty, Mary (Guy) Deweese of Bramwell.

Their first son Jeffrey Charles (Chuck) was born at Gary, WV. Number two son Mathew Todd (Todd) was born at Thorpe, WV. The third son, Roger Ray (Ray), was born after they moved to Pineville. Fourth son Dustin Keith (Dusty) was also born in Pineville. These boys kept the Harmans busy; they started playing ball of any kind when they first were walking. That was our life, playing ball, wrestling with all of them and the neighbors' son, and refereeing all kinds of battles and traveling all over to watch them play ball. It was never dull in our house, always some kind of competition going on.

Finally as these boys grew, we got some girls in our house. That was a big change for Matt and Joyce. Chuck married Nancy Gillespee and they live in Boones Mill, Va. Todd married Crystal Snow and lives in Elgin, SC, with our first grandson, Mathew Lee. Ray married Shelly Lowery and lives in Marysville, Ohio, with Kylie, Connor and Sophie. Dusty married Jenny Maddox and lives in Concord, NC, with Claire and Cooper.

Mathew retired from US Steel in 1994 after 36 years and enjoyed his time fishing, hunting and watching ball games. We also enjoyed Dirt Track Racing, but the best times were spent with the boys and their families watching them play and still competing in everything. Traveling on vacation to Idaho or Cleveland, Ohio, to visit family gave us many happy memories. It was a great life of almost 50 years together.

Expressions of sympathy may be made to Hubbard Hospice House, 4609 MacCorkle Ave., SW, South Charleston, WV 25309, or Pineville Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 436, Pineville, WV 24874.