Obituary of Renee' Harper

Renee' Carol Harper was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 3, 1950 and was the only child of Dorothy Benjamin. She was educated in the Philadelphia School District. For many years as a child, she resided on the 2600 block of Colorado Street where she, along with her Aunt Carol, began a lifelong friendship with Jackie Williams, Laurie Singleton and Diane Hopkins. On January 25, 1969, Renee' was united in Holy Matrimony with her soul mate, Nathaniel Harper. They were blessed with two children, Carol Renee' and Dawn Maria.

Renee' was employed by Citizens Bank for 30 years as a loan accountant. While at Citizens, she was president of PHIL/AERS and perfected her trip and event planning skills which she taught her daughters. She loved traveling with her family, friends and Girl Scouts to the Poconos, Savannah and Caribbean. After retiring from Citizens, she pursued her dream of completing her bachelor's degree in Social Work at La Salle University.

Renee' was an avid fan of the theater and classical music. She especially enjoyed fostering her grandchildren's love of West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Phantom of the Opera and various musical genres. She loved children and devoted most of her spare time over the years to Girl Scouts and other youth organization such as Pennsylvania's Child Abuse Prevention Effort (CAPE) in addition to caring for her children and grandchildren.

Renee' was a lifelong Girl Scout. She was a Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout leader for over 25 years. In the 1970s, she began in Girl Scouts by becoming a leader for her daughters' Girl Scout troop. After her daughters graduated from college, she returned to Girl Scouts after she inspired them to become Girl Scout leaders for the troop that they had been members of as children. Along with her daughters, Renee' served as a leader and mentor for several hundred girls in Troops 91378, 9500, 9454, 91326 and 9696 in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia over the years.

Renee' was a devoted wife, daughter, mother and grandmother. Her greatest joy came from bringing together and caring for her family, friends and Girl Scouts. During her illness, she was determined to live for her family. She continued to have a caring and generous spirit and put others needs before her own. To have known Renee' was to have your life enriched, your character strengthened, your resolve fortified and your love deepened.

On Saturday, December 1, 2012, God in his infinite wisdom called Renee' Carol Harper home to be with Him. She responded to His calling and departed to be with her Lord and Savior to a place where there is no more suffering, sickness and pain. She will be deeply missed, adored and survived by: a devoted husband, Nathaniel Harper; mother, Dorothy Benjamin; two daughters, Carol Harper and Dawn Harper-Pinkett; son-in-law, Scot Pinkett; grandsons, Scott, Troy and Devon Pinkett; granddaughter, Tianna Pinkett; an aunt who was like a sister to her, Carol Wright; two brothers-in-law, Walter Harper III and Ivory Mickens; a sister-in-law Renee Howerton and her special family ( daughter, Donyell Fields; son-in-law, Barry Fields and grandchildren, Monae Nelson, Monique Nelson, and Brandon Fields) as well as a host of family, friends, neighbors and her Girl Scout family.