Harry George Latham

CARY-Harry George Latham, 89, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 25, 2014, with his wife and daughter by his side. He was born on May 19,1925, to Harry George and Muriel Seaman Latham in Patchogue, Long Island, New York, and graduated from nearby Islip High School in 1942. George attended The American University in Washington, DC, where he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity and earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Chemistry. He started his career in biochemical research at The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, in 1944, concurrent with his studies. While at NIH, he served in the Merchant Marine during WWII and was stationed at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Denver, CO, during the Korean conflict. Several years following his 1955 marriage Claire Ann Forster (Wink) of Long Island, NY, the couple returned to their native Long Island, settling in East Patchogue where they raised their only child, Barbara Ann, and George began his 31-year career as a chemist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, retiring in 1989. Adored grandchildren and a desire for a more temperate clime brought George and Claire to Fearrington Village, NC, in 1997 and subsequently to Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary in 2005.

In addition to his wife of 59 years, George is survived by his daughter, Barbara Marley, her husband Robin, and granddaughter, Paige, all of Cary, and grandson, Grant, of Arlington, VA. Also surviving is his sister, Marjorie Luther, and her husband McKinley, sister-in-law Nancy Latham, and a niece and three nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, the Hon. Richard B. Latham, in 2012.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Raleigh Rescue Mission, PO Box 27391, Raleigh, NC 27611 or The Presbyterian Homes Foundation, Inc./Glenaire, 2109 Sandy Ridge Road, Colfax, NC 27235 in memory of George Latham.

A Celebration of Life will be held in early January. We wish to express our grateful thanks for the love, care, and encouragement provided to George and family by the Glenaire Staff during the past year.

George, Father, Pa, Mr. Latham, Papa, Buddy, “The King” – you will forever be in our hearts.