Henry Philip "Harry" Folwell Jr

Athens - Henry "Harry" Philip Folwell, Jr., age 88, of Athens , Georgia , died on Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at University Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of congestive heart failure.
Harry was born on June 27, 1922 in Memphis, Tennessee to Henry Philip Folwell, Sr. and Arta Williams Folwell. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to Atlanta. He considered his mother and her father (Colonel), who lived with the family, to be the most influential people in his life. Colonel taught him chess at an early age, which he enjoyed playing for the rest of his life. Harry attended three Atlanta schools: S M Inman Grammar, William A. Bass Junior High and Boys High. His last two high school years were spent as a boarder at Sewanee Military Academy in Sewanee , Tennessee where he was graduated in the Spring of 1942. Harry entered Georgia Tech to study mechanical engineering before joining the Army in November 1942.
During World War II, Harry was stationed in England and France as a Sergeant in the 445th Replacement Company in Europe from March 1944 until his discharge in January 1946. He received several decorations for his service including the EAMTO medal, the ATO medal, the Good Conduct medal and the WWII Victory medal. Harry recalled that when he disembarked from his return ship in New York City, he kissed the ground and a Red Cross volunteer gave him a quart of "cold, real milk" that he downed in one gulp.
After the war, Harry resumed his studies in 1946 at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi where he was graduated in 1949 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. At Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and fell in love with campus beauty, Joan Alloway Fox of Jackson, who he married in Jackson in 1949. Harry then embarked on a 33-year career with Southern Bell that took the family to Birmingham, Atlanta and then Augusta where he was a member of the Augusta Exchange Club and the Augusta Sailing Club. In 1972, Harry returned to Atlanta where he worked until his retirement in 1982. From 2000 until his death, Harry and Joan resided in Athens, Georgia.
Harry enjoyed a lifelong association with The Soque Club in the north Georgia mountains where he maintained a cabin. He served several terms as the club's president and held many other offices through the years. In addition, he played an instrumental role in legislation enacted to expand conservation protection for Georgia's mountains for future generations.
Harry was devoted to the Lord. His many prayers were often sprinkled with "thee," "thou" and other old-fashioned terms found in his well-worn King James Bible. He was a member of Wee Kirk Presbyterian Church in Birmingham and an elder at Covenant Presbyterian and First Presbyterian in Augusta as well as Westminster Presbyterian in Atlanta. In his later years, he was a member of Faith Presbyterian in Athens.
Harry considered his wife and three daughters his greatest blessings in life. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joan Alloway Fox Folwell; daughters Katherine (Katie) Ramsey of Athens, Georgia, Arta Marion of Columbia, South Carolina, and Janet Williams of Decatur, Georgia; granddaughters Katherine Ramsey Maxey and Mary Blake Ramsey Chafin of Athens, Georgia; great-grandchildren William David Maxey, Annely Blake Maxey and Henry Middleton Maxey. Harry is predeceased by his sister, Arta Terry of Atlanta, Georgia d.1991 and Robert Folwell of Casper, Wyoming d.1989.
Visitation is Friday, June 24 from 5 to 7pm at Lord and Stephens Athens West Chapel, 1211 Jimmy Daniel Road, Bogart, GA 30622. Ph(706)549-3342. Funeral services on Saturday, June 25 at 10am will also be held at Lord and Stephens Athens West Chapel followed by interment at Evergreen Memorial Park, 3655 Atlanta Highway, Athens, GA 30606. Ph(706)543-6235.
The family is deeply grateful for the hospice care provided by Donna Patel and Patricia Tarpkin and other staff and volunteers with Odyssey Health Care and University Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.