Harold Benjamin Tarpley's Obituary
Harold Benjamin Tarpley, a Christian, son, husband, father, grandfather, music educator, environmentalist and American, died August 10, 2017. He was born on May 7, 1930, in Maryville, Missouri, to Carl Tarpley and Leola Mae (Mahoney) Tarpley.
Harold received a Bachelor of Science from Northwest Missouri State University, a Master of Science from Kansas University, and graduate additions from Ohio State, Kansas State University, University of Wyoming, University of Minnesota, and University of California at San Diego, among others. He was an Alfred Hay Fellow-National Endowment for the Humanities at Ohio State. He taught public school music in Estes Park, Colorado, Ottawa, Kansas, Maryville, Missouri, and Lawson, Missouri. Harold also taught at Fort Sill in McAllister, Oklahoma. His longest tenure was at Chanute High School/Chanute Junior College, later renamed Neosho County Community College.
He was music director for twenty-five music theatre productions in the community, not including five annual “Renaissance Evenings” for the NCCC Endowment Foundation. He was also the humanities instructor at NCCC. After his retirement in 1992, he continued to lecture in course offerings for Continued Lifetime Learning students in Musical Theatre for productions at Music Theatre of Wichita. Other activities included organist and choir director for Grace Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church, and seven seasons as choral director for St. Cecilia Music Club.
Harold was a founding member of the Chanute Arts Council and helped develop the first Artist Alley. Other interests were environmentally connected, serving on the Chanute Tree Board and writing a column on trees for the Chanute Tribune in the 1970's.
He shared his passion for politics with his beloved wife, Beverly. Notorious for the use of puns and as a raconteur, “Tarp” especially enjoyed the company of his wife, Beverly, daughters and grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Beverly Elaine Cooper, his sister, Norma Mitchell, and his parents, Carl Tarpley and Leola Mae Mahoney Tarpley as well as his stepmother, LaVeta Archer Tarpley.
He is survived by his daughters Felecia Johnson (Kurt), Dairlee Bideau (David), and Merett Ross (Stan) and his grandchildren Abby Johnson, Chanute; Luke Johnson, Sarasota, Florida; Heath Bideau and his wife, Emma, Olathe; Callan Bideau, New York City; Adam Bideau, Plano, Texas; Kenna Bideau, Topeka; Jessamy Ross, San Francisco; Tierney Ross, Los Angeles; Cameron Ross, Chicago; and Ansley Ross, Overland Park.
A service will be held on August 19th at First Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m.. Inurnment will take place at Memorial Park Cemetery in a private family ceremony. In lieu of flowers, donations to Tarp's favorite charities are accepted. Those include Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, Nature Conservancy, American Cancer Society, Care, America's Second Harvest, Greenpeace, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Population Connection, or Heifer Project International.
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