Donald Louis Harper, 79, a native of Monticello, Ark., and a longtime resident of Mobile and Spanish Fort, died unexpectedly Saturday, May 28, 2011.
He was a charter member of East Pointe Baptist Church where he served as a trustee. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and was stationed in occupied Germany.
He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in forestry. He also attended the University of Florida Bankers Trust School.
He was employed by Merchants National Bank (now Regions Bank) for 30, serving as vice president and Woodlands manager in the trust department until his retirement in 1994.
He served his profession as secretary of the Southeast Section of the Society of American Foresters and served on the Alabama Forestry Commission Licensing Committee. He was also a member of several forestry organizations.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Johnie Wells and Thelma McKeown Harper; and infant son, Jeff Louis Harper.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Virginia Gathright Harper of Spanish Fort; two sons, Joel Gathright (Michelle) Harper of Knoxville, Tenn., and Donald Clayton (Missy) Harper of Spanish Fort; five grandchildren, Brett Wells Harper, Emory Blake Harper and William Brooks Harper, all of Knoxville, Tenn., Emily Teal Harper and Andrew Louis Harper, both of Spanish Fort; two brothers, Jack Hugh Harper of Monticello, Ark., and James W. Harper of Garland, N.C.; sister, Shirley Chambers of Central, Ark.; numerous other loving family members and friends.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 31 from the chapel of Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Home, Daphne. Interment followed at Jubilee Memorial Gardens.
The family requests memorial donations be made to East Pointe Baptist Church.
Arrangements are by Wolfe-Bayview Funeral Homes & Crematory Inc., Daphne. Online at www.wolfefuneralhome.net.
