Katherine Harmon

Katherine Reed Harmon, known to all as Kaki, and wife of Lawrence Albert Harmon died on August 21, 2023. Born to the late Frederick Edgar Reed and Jean Cochran Reed in Ottumwa, Iowa on November 20, 1944, she grew up in Greenville, South Carolina where she graduated from Greenville High School and then Queens College with a double major in Art and Psychology. Later she would get a Masters of Education in Guidance Counseling from Valdosta State University. After a wonderful blind date with Larry, she married him 8 months later on October 21, 1967, at Westminster Presbyterian in Greenville, SC. Her first year of marriage entailed living in Korea where Larry was stationed, but eventually they found themselves in Thomasville, Georgia where she lived for nearly 50 years. They had a loving beautiful 55 year marriage. She and Larry have two children Jeanie Estelle and her husband John Christopher Harris and Lawrence (Laren) Albert Harmon, Jr, and his wife Jinna Zimmerman Harmon. She was a loving Nana to her four grandchildren.

She loved celebrations and laughter and was full of creativity. She was wife, mom, sister, daughter, Nana, friend, counselor, artist, servant of God, tennis player, gardener, bridge player, wit master, golfer, champion of causes, party host, member of Alpha Delta Pi and ping pong competitor extraordinaire. She and Larry would eventually retire in the Keowee Key community where she spent time loving the lake, nature, friends, being near family and seeing the world.

She was an advocate for children, meeting with then Governor Zell Miller of Georgia in the early 1990s to implement and ensure counselors were in all elementary schools in the State of Georgia. She worked as a guidance counselor at CrossCreek Elementary in Thomasville where she helped many children. She was a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church of Thomasville where she lived and loved joyfully and faithfully. She would later join the congregation of Seneca Presbyterian Church. She volunteered countless hours with such endeavors as Archbold Hospital of Thomasville where she was part of the Hospital Auxiliary where she served as Chairman of the Hospital Tea, starter of clothes closets at First Presbyterian Church, founding board member of the Culture Center of Thomasville, served as an Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Thomasville, and Trustee of Brookwood School.

Her paintings and canvas floor cloths were creative, beautiful and enjoyed and loved by many. She was a radiant light inside and out and loved immensely by her friends and family. Her smile and humor were infectious.

Even after contracting Parkinson’s, she dove in wanting to know all about it and what she could do to overcome it! She established the Parkinson support group at Seneca Presbyterian Church.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Dr. Frederick Reed.

She is survived by her husband Larry, children Jeanie Harris (John) and Laren Harmon (Jinna), grandchildren Katherine Louise Robinson (Will), Blake Sandifer (Sanders) Campbell Jr., Laura Harmon and Ashlyn Harmon, sister-in-law Ann Harmon, her brothers Ben Reed (Martha), John Reed (Gretchen), and Tim Reed (Susan), and sister-in-law, Grace Reed.

A celebration of life will be held in Thomasville, Georgia on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at First Presbyterian Church from 2:00 - 3:30 PM in the Edwards Building.

The family would like to thank the caregiver services of C3 Eldercare, Home Instead of Anderson, Home Instead of Seneca, Comfort Keepers of Anderson, the staff of the Garden House of Anderson, the staff of the Healthcare Center of Clemson Downs, and Via Health Partners Hospice Care.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church of Thomasville, Georgia, 225 E Jackson Street, Thomasville, Georgia 31792 or Seneca Presbyterian Church, 115 W South 1st Street, Seneca, SC 29678.