Daniel Harper

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Loving Husband, Father and Grandfather

A service of Christian burial for Mr. Daniel Eroy Harper will be conducted at 10:30 AM on Friday March 16, 2007 at the First United Methodist Church of New Iberia with Rev. Scott Bullock officiating. Interment will follow at the Holy Family Mausoleum where Masonic rites will be conducted by Aurora Lodge 193.

Visitation will be at David Funeral Home on Thursday March 15th from 11:00 AM until 9:00 PM and resume on Friday morning at 8:00 AM until services.

A resident of New Iberia, LA since 1961, Dan Harper died at 1:00 AM on March 13, 2007 at the Baton Rouge General Hospital.

Dan Harper was salutatorian of his high school class at Oak Grove High School in Stanley, LA. He was a graduate of Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) where he was named to Whos Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges from 1950-1951. He was a member of the Blue Key Honor Society was on the Debate Team, was active at the Baptist Student Union and took part in a number of plays on campus. He earned a B.A. Degree with a major in speech.

After graduation, he entered the United States Air Force Officers Candidate School. He served in the Korean Conflict and reached the rank of First Lieutenant.

Dan Harper was employed by Sherwin Williams Paint Company in 1955 and served as manager of the New Iberia branch from 1961 until his retirement in 1990. He loved all those he served and did his utmost to help them with their needs.

Dan Harper was a people person. He shared his love of the Lord and love of his family with everyone. He was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of New Iberia where he sang in the choir. His benevolence was shared through his membership in the Masonic Aurora Lodge 193 where he was past treasurer and through the New Iberia Rotary Club where he was the clubs president in 1982-83, after he had 24 years perfect attendance until his recent illnesses. He is a Paul Harris Fellow. He enjoyed the beauty of flowers and music. He was a member of the Delta Day Lily Society and grew over 100 varieties of day lilies. He served several years as President of the Iberia Community Concert Association.

He was a loving and devoted husband to his wife of 52 years, Rhea Claire Suiter Harper. Claire said she will be forever grateful to Dan for having chosen her to be his wife and mother of his children. He was a good and faithful husband and father and will be sadly missed by his family. He is survived by: two children, Dr. David Elliott Harper, MD of Baton Rouge, LA and Dr. Melanie Claire Harper, PhD of Augusta, GA; two grandchildren, Lauren Camille Harper (8) and Andrew Winford Harper (7) of Baton Rouge, LA and two brothers, Huey P. Harper and wife Bobbie of Many, LA, Walter Harper and a number of nieces and nephews.

Dan Harper was preceded in death by his parents, Rhee Roy Harper and Stacie Mae Mannies Harper; his paternal grandparents Robert Harper and Mattie Albritten Harper and his maternal grandparents Benjamin Daniel Mannies and Myrtis Addie Fountain Mannies.

Pallbearers were his nephews, Mike Suiter and Mark Suiter, Masons, Leland Richard and Jack Brice, Rotarians, Ralph Friend, Wayne Clay and Dan LeBlanc, Sr..

David Funeral Home of New Iberia is in charge of arrangements.