Rondy Harper, age 72, died Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at his residence with his family by his side.
Funeral services will be held at 2 PM, Friday, August 8, 2014 at The Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Ocilla, with the Rev. Steve Hand officiating. Interment will follow in The Fletcher Cemetery. The family will be receiving friends one hour prior to the service on Friday at the funeral home in Ocilla.
Mr. Harper was born on July 3, 1942 in Irwin County, GA to the late Earley and Miriam Erma Thomas “Sister” Harper. He was a 1960 graduate of Irwin County High School. After high school, he worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission and later with the Irwin County Electric Membership Corporation. Rondy enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard of Georgia on January 1, 1964 and served in Company B, 2nd Battalion, and the 121st Infantry. Some of his training was in riot control, and his National Guard Unit was activated to help secure the Georgia State Capitol following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. He received an Honorable Discharge from the National Guard on December 31, 1969 in Fitzgerald, GA.
Rondy retired from the United States Postal Service (USPS) after thirty-four years of service on July 3, 2008. He began working with USPS on June 22, 1974 as a part-time flexible city carrier and retired as a full-time window clerk on July 3, 2008.
He enjoyed growing a garden, especially sugar cane. He also enjoyed sharing the harvest from his garden with friends and neighbors and especially syrup made from his sugar cane.
Survivors include his wife of forty-four years, Maxine Fletcher Harper of the Pinetta Community of Irwin County, his children, Carlyle Westmoreland “Wes” Harper of the Pinetta Community of Irwin County and Dr. Monica Alexandra Harper of Savannah, GA; a brother, Billy “Bill” Harper of Memphis, TN and a sister, Kathy Harper Thompson of Sylvester. In addition to his parents, one sister, Earleen Harper: and four brothers, Waldo, Raymond, Gary and Wayne Wilton Harper, preceded him in death.