Jay was born on February 2, 1941, the son of the late Everett and Gladys Wilson Harbison. A man known by many names (Harb, Daddy, Papa, Uncle Jay), he converted to Catholicism after meeting Frankie and became an active member of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, his faith in God grew as his family grew.
His proudest accomplishment was as patriarch of the family he and Frankie built together, which he loved and cared for deeply. Whether it was weekly Sunday dinners, large family vacations or a phone call to sing happy birthday, Papa cherished every moment he spent with his family. He was a dedicated Kentucky Wildcats fan, never missing a football or basketball game and he was always eager to talk about the team. He was proud of his garden and loved piddling in his garage; even more so when he had somebody “wookin’” with him, whether it be a grandchild or a dog.
After retiring from a 30-year career at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in 1998, Harb continued to serve his community as an outreach representative of the Worker Health Protection Program. His work with this program enabled hundreds of retired employees from the plant to get potentially life saving health screenings. He was passionate and proud of his job and continued to help others through this program from the hospital even in his final days.
He devoted his life to helping others, whether through work, helping out a family member, giving a ride to a stranger in need or checking on the welfare of a person sleeping on the side of the road. He was a selfless and loving man who will be missed greatly by many.
He is preceded in death by 4 sisters and their spouses: Jean Radford, Vela Mae Polley, Martha Bradford and Wilma Dubar and 3 brothers-in-law.
He is survived by a large and loving family including his wife of 58 years, Frances Miller Harbison (Honey Bunny), their 4 children: Marcia Harbison Bryant (Robert), Michelle Merges (Ken), James Harbison, Jr. and Joe Harbison (Maebeth) and a niece who he raised like a daughter, Lisa Radford Wyatt (Brian), all of Paducah, KY. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren: Ashley Nowlin (Luke), Blake Cvengros (Emily), Brittany Elliot (Josh), Justin Raney (Ashley), Kristin Merges, Crystal Telling (Cory), Kalie Harbison, Kelsi Harbison, James “Trae” Harbison, III, Marlee Harbison, Kate Radford and Jack Radford and 13 great grandchildren with more on the way.
A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 17, 2021 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church with Rev. Brian Johnson officiating.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church Parish Hall. Prayers will be said at 4:45 p.m. Visitation will also be held on Friday, September 17, 2021 from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at the church.
Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah is in charge of arrangements.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to, Community Kitchen 1237 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Paducah, KY 42001 or to McCracken County Humane Society 4000 Coleman Rd. Paducah, KY 42001.
During this difficult time, you may show your support by joining the “Hugs from Home” program, where your message will be attached to a balloon in the chapel to remind the family of your love and support. Please go to www.milnerandorr.com to send a hug.
You can send a message to the family and light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com .