Name: Visitation for William Whitaker Harmon
Start: 2023-01-26T22:00:00.000Z
End: 2023-01-27T02:00:00.000Z
Location: Drake & Son Funeral Home

William Whitaker Harmon, 94, of Chicago's Lincoln Park and Edgewater Beach neighborhoods, esteemed advertising executive, passed away peacefully at home, January 20, 2023. After earning his sociology degree from Northwestern University, Bill served in the U.S. Army, where he was stationed in Stuttgart. He enjoyed a long career in media and advertising at Leo Burnett and Starcom. He was a respected mentor, teacher, and gentleman. Interests include antiques, architecture, art, design, and world travel. He joyfully hosted cousins and friends at his beloved childhood cottage in Mahtomedi, Minnesota. Bill was particularly generous to the University of Minnesota School of Medicine and College of Liberal Arts. Dear friend, cousin, and colleague of many. Preceded in death by parents Sydney and Frances Marie (nee Whitaker) Harmon of St. Paul, MN and siblings John and Bobbi Harmon. Devoted nephew of Edward and Helen Norton of Malaga, Spain and helped publish Ed's memoirs, "Death in Malaga". "Never let it rest until your good is better and your better is best". In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, www.mercyhome.org. Visitation Thursday, January 26, 4-8pm, Drake & Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Ave., Chicago, 60625. Funeral mass Friday, 10am, St. Ita's Catholic Church, 5500 N. Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640. Future interment of cremated remains, Calvary Cemetery, St. Paul, MN. Arrangements by Drake & Son Funeral Home, 773-561-6874 or www.DrakeandSonFuneralHome.com.

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Published by Chicago Tribune on Jan. 22, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for William Harmon

8 Entries

John DesLauriers

February 6, 2023

My condolences to all who lost this lovely spirit: Bill Harmon. I'm so grateful for the times I visited Bill. We would talk about antiques, Enza Zeller and the Uptown Antiques Shop at 1039 Grand Avenue in St. Paul, MN. I am grateful for his brother John who asked me to help him shift a few things around the shop one Saturday afternoon when I was 12 years old that started my long love of antiques, history and life. Bill was a delight. I appreciated his many good qualities. I am grateful we reconnected after so many years. I love you Bill. I will miss you.

Alan Yurman

January 29, 2023

Bill was a very special person :so gracious and helpful to all who needed guidance in the world of media.

Bill was one of the many terrific people at Burnett during the 1960s-90s who built the Agency into the best in the business and made it such a wonderful company and place to work.

Bills wonderfully happy and friendly disposition combined with his unsurpassed experience and expertise, always available to others made him a one of a kind,long term mentor and media expert.

Rest in peace Bill; I´m sure I speak for
many when I say you´ll be in my thoughts and prayers .

Alan Yurman

Carla Michelotti

January 24, 2023

Bill Harman´s influence on the company, and the entire advertising industry ( supported by print media for decades) was incredibly significant. In the eras before rules, he created and enforced appropriate standards for ad buying that established baselines for regulation ( and integrity). Bill taught me a lot, and I´m sure he taught hundreds of ad people a lot! I know the entire print media industry benefited from his professionalism. May God bless Bill Harmon for all eternity.

Shanna Schmidt

January 23, 2023

I will only have the fondest memories of Bill. He was the ultimate "Burnetter". I'll never forget the time Bill told me how Leo Burnett, the man himself, got locked in a closet and yelled out for help. Bill was the one to let him out (haha). He is witty, fun and a wonderful man. God rest his soul.

Mercy Home for Boys & Girls

January 23, 2023

On behalf of Fr. Scott Donahue and Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family and friends of William Harmon.

May the angels lead him into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome him and take him to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.

Lora

January 23, 2023

May God´s loving kindness and comfort help you and your family through this difficult time. Matthew 5:4

Inga Jahn

January 22, 2023

Bill was a supervisor of mine when I worked at Leo Burnett. I worked under him in the early 1990s ( before I left the company on 12/31/98.) Life took me to Minneapolis in 2004, and Bill called me out of the blue on a summer day ( around 2005-2007 not sure ) but it had been years since I had spoken to him, although I sent him annual holiday cards. Anyway , he called to say he was heading up to his cabin on white bear lake,mn ( the suburb of mahtomedi for those who may know the area ) and at first I thought it was a prank call. But no - it was Bill Harmon the star himself! He invited my family and I for a visit. We did visit Bill at his cabin and - amongst the sea of beautiful McMansions - sat an eclectic, authentic cabin, with a canoe on the ceiling and a 1920s oven inside . I said: "that´s got to be bills cabin! He´s never here he´s in Chicago ! " lol. It was so cool. Bill also proudly showed me letters he received from real estate agents, asking if he wanted to sell his cabin or make some "improvements" to the exterior. He was annoyed and said: "Can you believe this!? This has been in my family for years ! I´m not changing a thing !" I laughed so hard , it was funny. Bill meant so much to me. I´m glad we stayed in touch. He did reply every year or so to my annual holiday cards but had not written me in the 2020s. I´m sad that this has happened and I didn´t get a chance to have one more letter from him. Or one more time to see him in person and hug him or say thank you for being an unique human being who had an effect on my life. Or one more random phone call from Bill.

But I know for sure that right now, heaven is abuzz with all his friends and family greeting him and sharing a heavenly cocktail with him at the pearly gates. ( I do believe in the afterlife ). Whether he did or not I´m not sure. I believe he attended the Northwestern College of St Paul not affiliated with Northwestern of Evanston IL , but the two schools are separate yet get talked about as being each other quite often. Bill also was a military veteran. Bill also worked under Mr Leo Burnett himself when he started in the mail room and met Leo then. Bill worked there over 50 years and , as he told me ( I wasn´t there anymore ), the day he decided to resign-retire, he just walked out the door. He was a very fun guy.

With that said, Bill, we´re all going to miss you and we´ll never forget you! Cheers! I´ll see you again someday in the afterlife!

Helen Scavone

January 22, 2023

There are no words to say what Bill meant to me. He was more than a mentor. And he was the epitome of a gentleman. Heaven just gained another angel. Helen Scavone

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