Dr. Harry Gilmore Padgett

1931 - 2016

BOONE, N.C. – Dr. Harry Gilmore Padgett, 85, of Boone peacefully passed away on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016.
A celebration of his life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in the chapel at Austin & Barnes Funeral Home, 194 Queen Street in Boone, N.C., with the Rev. Bud Russell officiating.
The family will receive friends prior to the service beginning at 11 a.m. Final resting place will be at Woodlawn Cemetery in Blowing Rock, N.C. Dr. Padgett was born Dec. 22, 1931, in Hampton County to Dan Jr. and Margurite Padgett. He accepted Jesus Christ when he was 8 years old and always spoke of Him as "my friend" with him on life's journey.
He graduated from Allendale High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football and was a member of the marching band. He graduated from North Greenville Junior College with an associate's degree and Furman with a bachelor's degree. While at North Greenville he played on the college basketball team.
While at Furman he spoke passionately about his love for studying Greek and Hebrew, and of his desire to teach. Upon completing his undergraduate studies, he entered Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., where he earned both a Bachelor of Divinity Degree and a Master of Theology Degree. While on revival he met Melvrene Lloyd, whom he later married on Aug. 27, 1955.
Dr. Padgett pastored Jefferson Baptist Church in Jefferson, while simultaneously serving as the director of counseling and the band director at Buford High School. He next pastored Elgin Baptist Church in Elgin, while at the same time pursuing his counseling studies at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., where he earned a Master of Education Degree in counseling. The family moved to Athens from 1965-67 where he completed his Doctor of Education degree in psychological counseling.
After completing these degrees, he accepted a professorship at Appalachian State University (ASU) in 1967 in the Counselor Education Department and moved his family to Boone, N.C. He retired from ASU in 1992 after 26 years of service. During his professorship at ASU he continued his post-graduate studies in dream analysis at the C.G. Jung Institute of Analytical Psychology in Kusnacht, Switzerland, and introduced classes at ASU about dream analysis.
During his tenure at ASU he also worked in private practice as a psychologist as the founder of the Agape-Onoma Psychological Center in Boone and Wilkesboro, N.C. During his work in private practice, he provided testing services for the Social Security Administration as well as for other state and local agencies, lead workshops and provided psychotherapy counseling. His life passion was to help people grow and reach their full God-given potential and to become mentally and spiritually healthy. He retired from private practice in 2010. In addition to being a full-time professional, he, also, volunteered his time as a Little League baseball coach. He enjoyed fishing, Atlanta Braves Baseball and ACC Basketball, particularly Duke.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dan Jr. and Margurite Padgett; his brothers, Marion and Dan Padgett; his sister, Helen Eldridge; and his son-in-law, Tony Pezzella.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Melvrene Lloyd Padgett; son, Harry G. Padgett II and wife, Sue, of Wilkesboro; daughter, Melva Padgett Pezzella of Virginia Beach, Va.; son, John Lloyd Padgett and wife, Annette, of Boone; five grandchildren: Nat Padgett, Jonathan Padgett and wife, Erin, Hannah Padgett, Julia Padgett and Noah Padgett; and one sister, Lillian Burkhead of Longmont, Colo.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Living Hope Ministries, P.O. Box 1333, Boone, NC 28607; or Wilkes A.D.A.P., P.O. Box 968, North Wilkesboro, NC 28659.
Online condolences may shared with Padgett family at www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.
Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Padgett family.