In Memory of

Thomas

Robert

Harper

Sr.

Obituary for Thomas Robert Harper Sr.

Early on the morning of December 22, 2017, Thomas Robert Harper stepped from time into eternity. He had finished his course and it was time to move on. Born July 14, 1945 in Plainville, Georgia to Elgiree Harper and Frank Moore he spent his early childhood there with his maternal grandmother, Mary Harper. At age 12 he moved to live with his mother in Springfield, Ohio where he completed elementary and high school.
He married Shirley Johnson and became the father of three children: Darin, Yolanda, and Thomas Jr. After the marriage dissolved he wed Shelia Marcella Dobson, who he affectionately called “Cell” and became father of two sons: Robert Edward, and Andre. He also had a daughter, Florence Jones, and several daughters-in-law. At his passing he was a proud grandfather to seventeen and great grandfather of three
Following graduation he enlisted in the Army and served two years. After discharge he held odd jobs until being hired by Toledo Edison. The manual dexterity he demonstrated during his adolescence and early adulthood were critical skills for the various positions he held at Toledo Edison. In 1993 when he retired he had risen through the ranks from the entry level job of laborer to become a supervisor of an underground cable unit. He was well respected by his superiors, coworkers, and subordinates for his skill, reliability and integrity.
Always a fun-loving guy, Tom made friends easily. He loved to party, play cards, pitch horse shoes and dance but he also had a serious side. Providing for his family was a top priority and he believed in going to work and doing a job well. He enjoyed cooking, fishing, hunting, and gardening. He was also a “biker”; his Honda was a prized possessions that he frequently rode at Bikers Week in Myrtle Beach, SC. His favorite character, the Tasmanian Devil became a personal symbol and some of his friends had even nicknamed him Taz.
A multitude of loving cousins, nieces, nephews and other relatives look forward to being reunited with Tom to share eternity.