Obituaries

Guy G. Harper III Bank Official

Guy G. Harper III, 78, a longtime personnel director of First Virginia Bank who retired in 1991, died Sept. 22 at his home in Kensington after a heart attack.

Mr. Harper joined the bank in 1966 as a branch manager. Within a few years, he organized First General Mortgage Co., a bank subsidiary, and became its president.

In the mid-1970s, he was president of a short-lived business, Century National Bank in Bethesda, and then returned to First Virginia Bank. He was named personnel director in 1978.

Guy Greenwell Harper was born in Washington and raised in Kensington. He added the roman numerals to his name as a young adult when he began working at his father's company, Gateway Finance Co. in Bethesda, although father and son had different middle names.

The younger Harper was a 1949 graduate of the private Georgetown Prep and a 1952 graduate of Nichols Junior College in Dudley, Mass., now known as Nicholas College.

While at First Virginia Bank he headed volunteer charity projects for the Corporate Volunteer Council of Northern Virginia, an organization made up of employees from area corporations

He was a lector at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Kensington. Besides the church, his memberships included Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Toastmasters and the Knights of Columbus. He volunteered as a youth baseball, youth track and adult softball coach.

His hobbies included golf and writing poetry.

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Joan Doherty Harper of Kensington; three sons, Scott Harper and Tim Harper, both of Kensington, and Guy D. Harper of Rockville; two brothers, Don Harper of Williamsburg, Va., and David Harper of Redondo Beach, Calif.; and 10 grandchildren.

-- Adam Bernstein