Robert "Bob" Ashley Harley

Spartanburg, SC- Robert Ashley Harley, 84, passed away in his home, Wednesday, September 11, 2013. He was born in Spartanburg General Hospital on April 28, 1929 to Cleveland Sylvanus Harley and Lochie Bates Harley. He was the youngest of eight children, but nevertheless he considered himself to be the scrappiest, meanest, and toughest of the lot as he grew up on South Church St. He started working after school at a young age at his family’s Harley Bag Co., started by his dad. Most of his siblings worked at the small factory located in downtown Spartanburg on Commerce St. Bob graduated from Spartan High where he played tackle on the undefeated team of 1946. Thereafter, he went on to play in the Shrine Bowl. About that time he met Jeanne Smith, the color guard beauty. Bob won a football scholarship to Ga. Tech, and Jeanne attended Agnes Scott College, both in Atlanta. Due to emergencies back home, they both dropped out of college, moved back to Spartanburg, and got married. Bob began running the paper bag company in earnest, in concert with his brothers and sisters. They introduced many innovations to paper bags, including multi-wall construction, and rotogravure printing, ushering in the age of attractive consumer packaging. They ultimately turned Harley Corporation into the sixth largest packaging corporation in the United States, employing over one thousand people, with plants in three states. In 1977 Harley Corporation merged with Union Camp Corp. He joined other local business leaders to form Spartanburg Bank and Trust. Later, he formed Carolina Southern Bank. At the age of 79, he created his third bank, Carolina Alliance Bank, serving as its chairman. He always liked to say, “I’d like to go out and make some money today!”, and he meant it. Bob was recognized, by then S.C. Governor John West, and was made chairman of the S.C. State Development Board. Bob always loved golf, and transacted a fair amount of business on the links. He was for many years a scratch golfer. He was a longtime member of the Spartanburg Country Club, helped create the Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg, and the Long Cove Club on Hilton Head Island. Later in life, he became a resident of Sea Pines Plantation, and had been a property owner on Hilton Head Island for many years from the time it was a nascent real estate development. Bob was a member of the John Nicholson Sunday School Class at Trinity Methodist Church. He donated the funds, along with his brother, Cleveland (Bubba), to build the church’s elevator to make the church handicap friendly. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Jeanne, in October 2010. He was heartbroken ever after. He is survived by his daughter, Kitt Papadea; his son and daughter in law, Steve and Beth Harley, all of Spartanburg. There are five grandchildren, Kate Papadea of Columbia, Jim Papadea of Charleston, and Ariel, Ash-Kat, and Arden Harley of Spartanburg. Services will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 626 Norwood St., Spartanburg, SC, in Converse Heights on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013 at 5pm. Officiating will be Reverend Dr. Steve Holler, and Reverend Tyler Kirby. Pallbearers will be Mark Harley, Bruce Harley, Mike Shackelford, Carroll Dawkins, Claude Horton, Andy Horton, and Mike Dietz. Honorary pallbearers will be the Carolina Alliance Bank board members. The family will receive friends at the home, 254 Montgomery Drive, prior to the service on Sunday from 2-4pm. Entombment will immediately follow the funeral service in Heritage Mousoleum, Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers please consider sending a donation to the Spartanburg Regional Foundation. This was his favorite charity. He helped to build this organization while he was Chairman of the Board of Spartanburg Regional Hospital System in 1998. Spartanburg Regional Foundation, 101 E. Wood St., Spartanburg, SC 29303