9/29/2017 1:35:00 PM
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Wrestling
Lehigh mourns the loss of John Harmon '59
Photo: John J. Harmon '59 '83P (left) with Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree Michael Caruso '67 at the 2013 dedication of the Caruso Wrestling Complex.
National Wrestling Hall of Fame Story, via USA Wrestling
John J. Harmon '59 '83P, a generous Lehigh benefactor known in particular for his support of Lehigh wrestling, passed away September 26, 2017. He will be missed by the Lehigh community.
"Warm, sincere, and unassuming, John epitomized the 'friendly neighbor next door,'" said National Wrestling Hall of Fame honoree Michael J. Caruso '67. "His generosity and devotion to Lehigh, especially Lehigh wrestling, is renowned. He was an international ambassador for the sport whose insight and guidance was universally respected at the highest levels. It is hard to imagine attending a match in Grace Hall without him sitting in his first row seat taking notes. We miss him already!"
Lehigh's Goodman Dean of Athletics
Joe Sterrett '76 commented, "It was a privilege to know John and to have the opportunity to witness his extraordinary impact on Lehigh and especially Lehigh wrestling. I'll forever remember John as positive, optimistic, always thinking about others and remarkably humble. His legacy is his love of family and his loyalty to and love of Lehigh."
Pat Santoro, Lawrence White '64 Head Coach of Wrestling, remembers Harmon as a dear friend. "John was brown and white through and through – not just Lehigh wrestling but Lehigh University as a whole," he said. "I'm going to miss my talks with him and catching up with him over breakfast. He was a very unique and good person. It's a sad day for Lehigh, but now we need to carry on his vision for the university and for the wrestling program."
Harmon, from Lawrenceville, New Jersey, earned a B.A. in mathematics from Lehigh in 1959. While at Lehigh, he was a founding member of the Gryphon Society; station manager, business manager and music director of WLRN; and president of Pi Delta Epsilon. After graduation, he became a computer programmer and systems analyst, working for various Fortune 500 companies.
A wrestling fan while a student at Lehigh, Harmon devoted much of his life to reporting on wrestling and preserving the history of the sport. For more than 20 years, Harmon was sports information director for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), the nation's oldest wrestling conference. He published the EIWA Newsletter, which covered all EIWA teams including Lehigh, and helped create the conference's first website. He co-authored
The History of the EIWA - The First 100 Years (now in its third edition), served as editor of
National Mat News, and received the Dellinger Award as the nation's top wrestling journalist in 2012. He was also a member of Lehigh's Wrestling Club, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Board of Governors, the EIWA Hall of Fame Committee, and the New Jersey chapter of the Wrestling Hall of Fame, which presented him with its Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award in 2014.
Harmon was a dedicated supporter of the Lehigh Fund and Athletics Partnership. With his wife, Elaine, he helped fund the renovation of Grace Hall's Leeman-Turner Arena, named for Hall of Fame coaches Gerry Leeman and Thad Turner. The Harmons also supported the renovation of Williams Hall, the construction of Goodman Stadium, the Coach Gerald Leeman Excellence Fund for Wrestling, head wrestling coach and assistant coaches' endowments, the Michael Caruso Wrestling Complex, the John J. Harmon '59 Wrestling Scholarship, and the Oberkotter Memorial Endowment Fund. In recognition of their extraordinary generosity, the Harmons were inducted to Lehigh's Leadership Plaza. [
http://giving.lehigh.edu/thanks/leadershipplaza/harmon]
After retirement, Harmon considered himself a professional volunteer. He volunteered with his Lehigh Class of 1959 and was a member of the university's 50-Game Club, which recognizes alumni who have attended 50 Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry games or more. He was a member of the Lehigh University Alumni Association Board of Directors and received the Alumni Award in 1999, during his 40th reunion.
Harmon was also active in his community with involvement in the Lawrence Township Board of Education, the Mercer County Human Services Advisory Council, the Lawrence Rotary Club, and several New Jersey statewide committees dealing with education. A lifelong railroad enthusiast, Harmon was a member of the National Railroad Historical Society.
Harmon is survived by his wife, Elaine Oberkotter Harmon, and daughters Debra Harmon '83 and Wendy Harmon Gironda and their families.
Services will be held Sunday, October 1, 2017, at Poulson and Van Hise, 650 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Calling hours are 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. with the memorial service at 2:30 p.m. A reception immediately follows at Mountain View Golf Club, 850 Bear Tavern Road, Ewing, NJ 08628. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Clyde F. Barker
Transplant House in Philadelphia. [
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/find-a-program-or-service/transplant-institute/transplant-house]
