AMERICUS -- Nearly one year after his death, the late Superior Court Judge John V. Harper is being remembered by a brotherhood he loved dearly, the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
Friends, family members, co-workers and Kappa Sigma brothers past and present gathered at Georgia Southwestern State University in front of the fraternity house on a cold Saturday morning for the dedication of the alumni house to Harper, who died last December, having been hospitalized for several days.
Harper had a congenital heart defect, and had undergone several surgeries in his lifetime to correct the problem.
Rusty Whaley, one of Harper's many fraternity brothers, was the first to speak.
"We are not here to mourn, but to celebrate the life and legacy of John V. Harper," Whaley said.
Whaley was friends with Harper while he was still in high school.
"I knew John," Whaley said. "He was a great guy ... I respected and looked up to him."
The next speaker was Russ Barnes, former law partner of Harper's, and he presented a proclamation by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue for the event. Framed and matted, the proclamation was given to the current Kappa Sigma administration to hang in the fraternity house.
The next two speakers, Jeff Baxley and Mickey Garnto, were fraternity brothers of the late judge. They not only spoke of Harper's legacy, but also how he embodied the brotherhood spirit of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
"Thank you for sharing John with us," Baxley said to Harper's family.
He said Harper was an "encourager ... He never whined. He was a bold individual ... If what he said stepped on a few toes, then so be it."
"He believed in this fraternity," Baxley said. He said the friendships he formed in the fraternity "changed my life. I've never been prouder to be a Kappa Sigma."
Garnto also met Harper during the high school years, he said.
"He always made you feel like he was your best friend," Garnto said. "He always made you feel like he was number one."
Garnto spoke of how Harper's dream was to become a Superior Court judge.
"The people of this Circuit ... saw a born leader," when they elected Harper, Garnto said.
After Garnto spoke, Michael and Amanda Harper, Harper's son and daughter, unveiled the new sign in front of the house.
Harper was initiated into the Kappa Kappa Chapter of the fraternity on Feb. 21, 1977. He served as Grand Master of Ceremonies and Grand Master.
He graduated summa cum laude from GSW in 1981, and he graduated summa cum laude from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 1985.
That same year, he joined the law firm of Ellis, Easterlin, Peagler and Skipper. In 1989, Harper became a partner.
In 1996, Harper and Barnes formed their own law firm. In 2001, Harper was elected Superior Court judge of the Southwestern Judicial Circuit.
In addition to his children, he is survived by his wife, Amzie D. Harper; his mother, Willie Harper; and two brothers, Dr. William M. Harper IV and Dr. Samuel G. Harper.
Local News
Kappa Sigma alumni house dedicated to Judge John V. Harper
- Local News
-
- Young baseball player laid to rest Saturday
- Vietnam vet to speak at Andersonville today
-
Phoebe Sumter reaches out to Moore, Okla.
Upon hearing about the devastating storm that unleashed 200 miles per hour winds on Oklahoma and the Midwest and the damage it caused, the people in Americus couldn’t help but think back to their own ordeal in March 2007. The fact that Moore Medical Center was damaged really hit home with the people at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center.
- Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black was in Americus Wednesday to present a grant in the amount of $7,500 to the Sumter Humane Society for spaying and neutering
-
SGTC Phi Beta Lambda students capture seven first place finishes in District Competition
Twenty South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) Phi Beta Lambda students from both the Americus campus and the Crisp County Center campus competed recently in the Phi Beta Lambda South District Competition at Middle Georgia State College in Macon and earned the right to advance to the state competition in Atlanta.
-
Pathway to Wellness: Depression survivor shares personal story
Deborah Wallace is a woman with a message to others: Get enrolled and get help. This soft-spoken individual sits at a desk in an office that is part of the organization she is encouraging others to find: Middle Flint Behavioral HealthCare. When told she was sought out because she is considered a true success story for those struggling with mental illness, she seems both embarrassed and pleased.
- Health inspections: May 26, 2013
- City holds monthly meeting
- Attend Taste of Home cooking school
-
Celebrates 90
- More Local News Headlines
Raw: Train Derails After Overpass Collapse
Raw: Rescues From San Antonio Flooding
Raw: French Soldier Stabbed in Throat Near Paris
Mayor: Person Killed in San Antonio Flooding
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Hagel Urges Cadets to End Scourge of Sex Assault
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
Raw: Pakistan Election Results Protested
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
