Kenneth Beldon Harper's Obituary
Kenneth Beldon Harper was born in Gregg County, Texas on December 3rd of 1932, the only child of Beldon and Thelma Harper. He joined the United States Air Force at 16, as his mother agreed to help fudge his age in hopes he would discover discipline and send money back home.
The Air Force sent him immediately to Germany to serve during the Berlin Airlift where he worked first as a typist, then loaded C47s, and finally flew missions as a nose gunner on a B26 and an upper fuselage gunner on a B29. His successful military career did indeed help him become disciplined, and he sent part of his salary home to help provide for his mother.
He met Gretchen Rasch at Bland-Willis Cadillac Company when he returned to Houston. Through her and her family’s influence, he was baptized into the Catholic faith in 1955, and he and Gretchen married in 1958. Although both his parents threatened to never speak to their newly-Catholic son again, after the arrival of children Scott, Paul, and Julie, the religious division was quickly forgotten.
Ken spent nearly 40 years as a sales manager with Standard Motor Products, traveling all over the southern U.S. He and Gretchen enjoyed playing bridge with friends, watching cable news networks, and researching Ken’s Native American heritage. After thirty-eight years of marriage, Gretchen passed from cancer in 1997. The following year, Ken married Gretchen’s cousin and life-long friend Dolores Howell, and the two returned to their home state of Texas in 2017, settling in Dallas. After Dolores’ passing in 2019, Ken was moved in with his oldest son Scott and his wife Claudia in Houston, where they provided daily care for over two years. Ken died peacefully in his sleep in the early hours of Memorial Day, in the care of his granddaughter, Maria.
Ken was famous for his dry sense of humor, his faultless comedic timing, and his generosity of spirit. He had a voracious appetite for spy novels, the writings of mystic saints, and all types of desserts. He was never known to pass up a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream or Moo-llennium Crunch. He had a deep knowledge of and love for his faith, and he embraced learning about it with his whole heart. He made sure to pass that love to his children at an early age, where dinner topics were more likely to revolve around the Council of Trent than what was covered at school that day. In his later years, he became particularly devoted to St. Joseph, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and praying for the souls in Purgatory.
Even in his final long battle with dementia, when he lost the capacity to speak, Ken never lost the ability to smile. He maintained his gentle demeanor, his humor, and his characteristic contentment until the end.
Ken is preceded in death by his first wife, Gretchen, his second wife, Dolores, and his grandson, Stephen Harper. He is survived by two sons, a daughter, and their spouses: Scott and Claudia Harper, Paul and Kristina Harper, and Julie and Gifford Pace. He also leaves behind three step-daughters and their husbands: Rebecca and Dale Davis, Stephanie and Thomas Potter, and Jill and David Jones. He enjoyed sixteen grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. He also leaves behind a much-loved brother-in-law, Hans Rasch, his wife Ann, and five nephews and nieces.
Visitation will be Sunday, June 12, 6:00 pm, Memorial Park Funeral Home, Memphis, TN at 6pm. Rosary will begin at 7:30.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday, June 13, 10:00 am, St. Brigid Catholic Church, Memphis, TN. Interment will follow at Memorial Park.
The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to Food for the Poor in Ken Harper’s name.
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