William Duane Harmon

After attending the UNC Chapel Hill-Miami football game, where he proudly watched the Tar Heels soundly trounce the Miami Hurricanes, heaven called William Duane Harmon, 82, late of Erwin, NC and now of Wilmington, to come on home. It had been a red-letter day for the life-long Tar Heel, who enjoyed the game with his son, Hank; daughter-in-law, Gloria; grandson, Shannon; his wife, Pamela; two of his great-grand sons, Elijah and Micah; and the Roberts family. Dad had a long and fulfilling life with his wife of 62 years, Elizabeth Hicks Harmon. The two met in French class at Campbell University in 1952, where Dad earned his letter in track and field. The two were married at East Wilmington Baptist Church on May 08, 1953, and one year later, their first of three children was born, with two others following. The three children, Sharon, Hank (Shannon, Sr.), and Terry (Teresa) all reside in Wilmington. In addition to his wife and three children, William Harmon is survived by daughter-in-law, Gloria Cottle Harmon, wife of Hank Harmon; Thomas Wayne Lewis, son-in-law and husband to Teresa Harmon Lewis; grandson, Shannon and wife, Pamela McIntosh Harmon; their children, great-grandsons Elijah and Micah; granddaughter, Bethany Harmon Pegram and her husband, Matt Pegram; their two children, great grandsons Alex and Cody; grandson, Adam Lewis; and granddaughter, Erin Lewis. He is also survived by two brothers, Walter Harmon of Erwin, NC and Howard Harmon of MO; as well as a multitude of other family members. Surviving also are special friends, Ada and Billy Cottle, the entire congregation of Fellowship Baptist Church, where William Harmon was a deacon and he and Elizabeth worshiped Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for decades under the guiding hand of dear friend and pastor, Gary Arnold Griffin and his wife, Helen. Mom and Dad lived the life of deep Christian faith for the entire world to see and gave their children, grandchildren, and great-grand children the hope and peace of eternal life. Other special friends include Casey Smith, the Cape Fear Wood Carvers Club of Wilmington, and the surviving co-workers he spent over 30 years with at Allied Chemical which later became HoltraChem in Riegelwood, NC. He will also be missed by "Meow-Meow," his faithful cat. "Bill," as so many knew Dad to be called, was an avid fisherman who was never far from the sea, loved hunting, and all sorts of outdoors activities. He was an enthusiastic natural history buff with an encyclopedic knowledge of all manner of wildlife with birds, snakes, and an amazing assortment of insects leading the list. He could name practically every constellation visible in the night sky, identify hundreds of aircraft from either the sound of their engines or their profiles, and mimic every bird native to NC. Dad loved to travel and had been in nearly every state in the Union and much of eastern Canada and the Holy Lands. He traveled with his wife and daughter, Sharon, to Ireland in later life and left part of his heart at the craggy Cliffs of Moher and the streets of Killarney. A life so lived can never be described in words. Rather William Duane Harmon leaves his life and legacy in his beloved family and among his many friends. His light may be gone from this world but his soul and his spirit will live on forever. A visitation will be held from 1pm-2pm Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at Fellowship Baptist Church where a memorial service will begin at 2pm. The memorial service will be officiated by Rev. Arnold Griffin, Rev. John Griffin and Cape Fear Baptist Youth Pastor Shannon Harmon, II. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to The Salvation Army, PO Box 707, Hot Springs, NC 28743 or the Fellowship Baptist Church Building Fund, or a charity of your choice.