where he was raised in a large family with his Father (Thomas Harley),
Mother (Sarah Harley), and nine other siblings. Although they had
limited resources growing up (sometimes going to school hungry), they
were always loving and loyal to each other. Eugene ultimately had to
leave high school early in order to work and help provide for his
family.
His upbringing contributed to the toughness and resilience that he
demonstrated throughout his life. As one would expect in this type of
environment, there would be some physical altercations, and due to his
tenacity as a fighter, some of his peers told him that he should get
into boxing. He was highly successful in the local amateur scene, and
that led to his first professional bout. The story he would often tell
was that he was offered 25 dollars to fight in Newport News. He jumped
at that offer because, as he said, he didn't have 25 cents! He won
that bout, but he was disappointed that he received just over half of
that amount, after they deducted travel and lodging expenses.
Along with this toughness, he was a kind, generous, and loyal man who
would give you the shirt off of his back if you needed it. He had a
charismatic spirit and loved to laugh and flirt with the ladies (even
near his final days).
He lived independently and was active for over the first 90 years of
his life, even surviving a heart attack and getting a defibrillator
implanted along the way. This independence was compromised after a
fall that fractured his hip, which required surgery. Because this
happened during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was tested for COVID, which
turned up positive. He spent the next four months in a nursing home
healing and rehabilitating, including the first few weeks in
quarantine. He was eventually able to return home, once a full-time
home aid was provided for him. Rose was very dedicated to his care,
all the way up until his heart began to have difficulty pumping blood,
which led him to be hospitalized and ultimately admitted to the same
nursing home where he resided the previous summer. They did everything
to keep him comfortable throughout his stay, and immediately notified
me (his son) to pay him a final visit when he was in decline.
He passed away on April 9, 2021 at 8:40pm as the last remaining member
of his immediate family, and is survived by Paul Derek Harley (son),
Jennie Harley-Scott (daughter), Sunni Harley (daughter), Tonja Harley
(niece), Diane Curtis (niece), Delores Campbell (niece), Mack Warren
(grandson), Marie Warren (granddaughter), Gerald Scott (grandson),
Jabari Scott (grandson), and several grandnieces, grandnephews, and
great-grandchildren.
