David Ray Harman, 87, of Willis, passed away on Saturday, January 3, 2026. He was born in Willis on June 6, 1938. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Nancy Harman; and sister, Joanne Harman Brusati.
He is survived by his loving wife, Jean Penley Harman; his three daughters & sons-in-law, Ellen Harman Mukai, Sharon Harman Whalen (Michael), and Laura Harman Le Roy (Tyson); and his seven grandchildren, Thomas Mukai, Justin Whalen (Regan), Katie Whalen, Matthew Whalen, Jack Le Roy, Jabe Le Roy, and Luke Le Roy, all of whom he loved dearly.
David was a graduate of Willis High School’s Class of 1956. He attended Virginia Tech and graduated in 1960 with a B.S. in Agriculture. He served two years as an administrative officer and instructor in the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee. He devoted his professional life to public education and took his first teaching job at Rocky Gap High School as an Agriculture teacher and varsity boys’ basketball coach. It was there that he first met Jean. After two years, he moved home to Willis and taught Agriculture and became assistant principal at Floyd County High School. He spent the remainder of his career at the Floyd County Public Schools central office as Director of Instruction.
A standout Willis High School basketball player, he continued his love for the game through coaching Floyd Recreation & AAU girls’ basketball for many years. While his teams had many wins, he got more gratification from seeing individuals improve. David loved auto racing and spent many weekends competing on dirt and asphalt tracks across Virginia and North Carolina. As he grew older and began to take a slower pace of life, he found joy in bringing antique cars to cruise-ins where he could admire the vehicles and share stories with people who gathered.
David was a man of deep Christian faith and attended St. Mark Lutheran Church for over 60 years. As a leader in the church, he taught Sunday School classes, served as church council president, and occasionally led services and delivered sermons. His life reflected his commitment to grace, service, and love of neighbor.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026 in the Maberry Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Wanda Childs officiating. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Red Cross, PO Box 37839, Boone, IA 50037-0839 or at https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation
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