John Harper III

John Manning Harper III, a lifelong Greenville resident, died Tuesday, February 13, 2007, after a courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis.

Senior project manager and an officer of The Harper Corporation, John graduated from Greenville High School in 1968, and studied at Brevard College and Clemson University. He was an Eagle Scout, and received the God and Country Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Surviving are his wife, Gail Reeves Harper; his son, John Manning Harper IV, and his wife, Allison Miller Harper, of Greenville; his daughters, Martha Laura Harper Miller and her husband, Jay Miller, of Banner Elk, N.C., and Shannon McCuen Cheek and her husband, Fermin Samuel Cheek Sr., of Greenville. He was the proud grandfather of Jason and Scott Miller of Banner Elk, Georgia Harper of Greenville, and Lydia Cheek and Fermin Samuel Cheek Jr., of Greenville. John was the son of John Jr. and Virginia Harper of Greenville, and oldest brother to Judy Scheibel of The Villages, Florida, C. Douglass Harper of Greenville, and Ginger Shealy of Guyton, Ga.; and uncle to Timothy, Jason and Matthew Scheibel, Ashley Harper Stipes, Taylor Harper and Jordan Shealy.

Services will be Friday, at 2 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. George Moore officiating. Burial will be private.

The family will receive friends Thursday, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at The Mackey Mortuary, Century Drive, and following the services on Friday, at the home of John Jr. and Virginia Harper, 298 Rockwood Drive.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis, 1659 Branham Lane, Suite F-227, San Jose, CA 95118-5226, Web address www.coalitionforpf.org.