I grew up four blocks from the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harp, who lived on 8th Street, just east of Sheridan Road. They were Marvin and Patty Harp and their son Ronnie was one of my best friends ever when I was growing up. We were pals with Tim Herron, another great guy we grew up with in that neighborhood.

Ronnie and I were college roommates at The University of Oklahoma for one year. We live less than two miles from each other and it is always great to visit with him, his wife Cindy, and their wonderful kids.

My Mom passed away when I was 5 and I grew up in a single-parent household with four older brothers. My church family (at Tulsa Bible Church) nurtured me and that kept me out of serious trouble.

It was easy to get into trouble in that neighborhood back then. We were poor, there weren’t any jobs and the prospects looked dim. Life was a struggle but there was great optimism because of our faith and because we lived in America. The choices in that modest neighborhood were hard work and accomplishment or laziness and crime. Most of us picked hard work.

The Harp Family was special. They treated me like one of their family. They reinforced the Biblical values that I was learning at church. They accepted me without conditions.

If I was around at mealtime, they insisted I stay for dinner. Mrs. Harp was a fabulous cook and she cooked stuff I never got at home those days. It was a treat to sit at their table and share their company.

Mr. Harp was an air conditioning repair man. His home shop was amazing. I don’t think there was anything he couldn’t fix. And he was a wellspring of wisdom and common sense. He never hesitated when I asked him questions about life and the future. I valued his advice because I knew he was concerned about my welfare and future.

Mr. Harp understood the challenges of being a teenage boy and he put up with our shenanigans. He had a boat and he took us water skiing at Lake Oologah. He answered questions about maintaining our cheap used cars. He urged us to get a college degree and to work hard.

He loved to joke around. I used to call him “Marvin” in front of Ronnie because that just flabbergasted Ronnie that I used his Dad’s first name. But Marvin would always smile.

About 20 years ago, he passed away after a really difficult time with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease). It was hard to watch him battle that terrible affliction. He was such a strong man and while his body was ravaged, his mind stayed sharp.

Mrs. Harp was the perfect caregiver. She was crushed when he died. They really loved each other. It was a sad day that was only tolerable because he was a devout Christian.

Last week, Mrs. Harp joined him in Heaven. If you needed air conditioning in Heaven, I am sure that Mr. Harp had it up and working in their mansion.

She was such a nice person. She loved to laugh. She was devoted to her two children, Ronnie and Cindy. And she dearly loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren. And the all loved her.

She battled the aches and pains that accompanied old age but it never dimmed her spirit, even when she had to leave the house that she dearly loved.

She was an early subscriber to the Tulsa Beacon. She called the office once a year to renew her subscription and she always gave me an update on her family. Many times I told her how much she meant to me when I was growing and she said how much she enjoyed watching me and Tim and Ronnie.

My three kids and Ronnie’s kids became friends over the years, mostly through The University of Oklahoma and now some of them are close to my son Brian and his wife Shelby, who live in Norman.

Mrs. Harp loved going to church and she was devoted to Jesus Christ. I don’t think I ever heard her say a cross word.

She will be missed.

As I grow older, it is sometimes difficult to see the passing of people who meant so much to me as a youth. You have to maintain an eternal perspective and to cling to the hope that the Harps so wonderfully displayed.

When I write these sad columns, I am inclined to not end with some jokes. But Marvin and Patty Harp loved life, they loved people and they loved to laugh.  So, here are some jokes.