Thomas J. Harmon

THOMAS  J.  HARMON, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2023, with loving family at his side. Thomas was a marketing executive, sculptor and a volunteer.  He was employed for more than 30 years by the Penton Publishing Company, where he was Marketing Director.  After being “downsized” in 1992, he established The Turnkey Company, an advertising and marketing consultancy for business-to-business firms.  He was active in civic and professional organizations, including the Cleveland City Club, Cleveland Advertising Association and the Business and Professional Advertisers Association.

A member of the Berea Fine Arts Club, Thomas was well-known as a sculptor of marble and Berea Sandstone.  His largest work, Berea Prologue, is in the Mahler Museum of the Berea Historical Society.  Two of his sandstone sculptures, including the City of Berea Sesquicentennial Memorial, are publicly sited in Berea.

Thomas served 15 years as an elected member of the board of trustees for the Center for Mental Retardation.  He was a voting member of the Human Rights Committee of Koininia Homes, a non-profit provider of residential services for people with mental retardation.  He was a life-member of Cleveland Area Mensa, where he served as Editor of the newsletter for five years, and Chairman of the Scholarship Committee for ten years.  He was a founder of the Berea Area Montessori Association, and worked to establish the first Montessori school in the area.  For five years, Thomas and his late wife Mary tutored Cleveland Public School children in reading.

Thomas served in the United States Naval Reserve as an aviation structures mechanic for 8 years.  After military service he became a pilot and flew general aviation airplanes from Strongsville and Cleveland Hopkins airports.

Born in Painesville, Ohio, Thomas graduated from Cathedral Latin School and Fenn College.  He is survived by three children: Nora Phillips (Dale), Brandan Harmon, Roger Harmon (Britt); five grandchildren: Margaret DuPuis, Caitlin Harmon, Micahlainn Harmon (Tracy), Melissa Sulzer, Katie Wourms (Matt); three great-grandchildren: Benjamin Blake, Liam Wourms, and Ivy Harmon.  Thomas will be sorely missed by a large network of close friends and family, including the North Rocky River Country Club. 

Funeral Service and Burial will be private.

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