Gulfport loses a leader: John Harral was ‘one of the finest people I’ve ever known’
John Harral was a leader — in his family, his church, his community and his law firm.
He was the man so many went to when they had what might have seemed like a crazy idea because he encouraged, rather than dashed, dreams of every sort.
People he knew across the Mississippi Coast will miss this attorney who died suddenly the day after Christmas at the age of 72. He was helping his grandson get dressed when he collapsed from a massive heart attack.
Harral was gone in an instant, but his legacy will live for generations through his wife of 50 years, Marge, his two daughters, Alyse Stevens and Jessica Cloyd, his four grandchildren, his friends, his colleagues and the countless young people he mentored.
Harral deftly balanced family, community and his career at the Butler Snow LLP law firm, his friends and family said.
“He was one of the finest people I’ve ever known, no doubt about it,” said retired attorney Jim Galloway of Madison, who worked with Harral and was his neighbor in Gulfport.
John Harral devoted to schools, community
Galloway knows why Harral was looked up to as a leader, no matter what the venue.
“I think all of that stemmed from a single feature in John’s personality, and that is he was the most positive person I’ve ever met,” Galloway said.
For example, he said, Hurricane Katrina flooded Harral’s house with 12 feet of water and submerged his prized classic Corvette. But when Galloway saw Harral the day after that awful storm, he wore a big smile.
Gallloway said, “His attitude was, ‘Look at all this opportunity we have to make things right and start anew.”
Where others saw decay, he envisioned a blank canvas. And he had surrounded himself with a village to help bring his ideas to life.
Before Hurricane Katrina, Harral had approached Lisa Bradley, then director of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce, about the empty historic buildings downtown. Why not fill the storefronts with art?
They enlisted art students at Gulfport High School, who created paintings on roofing paper that were hung in the storefronts.
“They hung in those front windows,” Bradley said. “They were so super cool. It was just a bright, pretty artistic impression of the building instead of seeing an empty building or a building that was in disrepair.”
Harral had a long and joyous relationship with the Gulfport School District, not only as school board attorney for many years but as mentor to students of all ages.
He dressed as the Cat in the Hat to visit grade-schoolers and read Dr. Suess. For older students, he donned his Abraham Lincoln costume and offered engaging history lessons. And he invited the student orchestra to perform at many a civic event.
“John was all about Gulfport and he understood that the future of Gulfport was with its children,” said Superintendent Glen East. “He loved to be with the children, all ages. He understood the importance of public education.
“I never saw him angry or upset or sad the whole time I’ve known him,” East said. “Ever.”
Another of his contributions to downtown Gulfport was the refurbishment of the historic Carnegie Library and the placement of sculptures in strategic locations. He and Bradley led these efforts through the nonprofit Mississippi Maritime Historical Foundation.
She said he loved searching out and talking to artists whose work they could showcase. Through the foundation, they funded an art project that sent Gulfport High students to the barrier islands, where they collected trash and turned it into art.
They transformed bottle caps, plastic and other debris into a dolphin sculpture.
He was also devoted to Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, an oasis of creative play for children and a regional attraction in Gulfport. He helped raise money to build it and dressed up as the Mad Hatter and other characters for special events.
Family came first
His greatest devotion was to his family. He met Marge as a student at the University of Mississippi. He had grown up in a military family that moved constantly.
Harral had a few universities in mind for his higher education, but his father insisted that he attend Ole Miss rather than “an effete liberal arts school,” his daughters recalled.
Harral and his wife married shortly after she graduated and before he finished his final semester for a bachelor’s degree. She worked as a teacher to support him through law school.
Having moved so much as a child, he cherished settling in Gulfport and establishing deep roots.
He was always careful to save money. He compared the prices of peanut butter to make sure he was getting the best deal. But, his daughters said, he also knew when to splurge on moments that would become memories.
One time, he took his wife and nearly grown daughters to the Metropolitan Opera House in New York. During intermission, he led them to a table set with coffee, desserts and Champagne. The girls were allowed small sips of the champagne and will never forget the special occasion.
“You never knew when it was coming, the surprises,” daughter Alyse said.
Harral family left nothing unsaid
He loved new gadgets of all sorts, and even as he grew older was an early adapter to technology, setting up email before most people had it and storing information in the cloud.
He was a bit of an Amazon-aholic, his daughters said. He treated his wife and daughters to many a gift that he found online.
“His daughters and his wife and his grandkids meant the world to him,” said attorney Heather Ladner Smith, whose office was next to Harral’s. “Amazon is not going to come to our office nearly as much.
“We would always joke and say, ‘John, can we be on your Christmas list, please.’ “
He was equally generous with advice and counsel for his young colleagues, including Smith.
Whether she needed to rant for 15 minutes or talk over a complex legal issue for two hours, Harral was there.
“John was determined that I was going to succeed, and there was going to be nothing that stood in my way,” Smith said. “John was much more than a law partner, he was a mentor and friend.”
He told her that she would not always be able to tell a client what they wanted to hear, but as long as she advised them to do what was legal and right, things would work out for the best.
His family and friends wonder how they will manage without him.
“He was just your go-to when you had that wild idea,” daughter Jessica said.
Alyse added, “We’re all going to have to take up that mantle and support each other. He tried to be that for everybody.”
Although his death was sudden, his life ended, fittingly, with a sense of peace. His family was with him, and he had spent an hour that morning, still in pajamas and robe, tending his garden before his grandson roused him from an uncharacteristic nap.
“Nothing was left unsaid,” Jessica said. “We were in perfect peace as a family. It was such a blessing.”
