Harold L. Varner

Harold Lloyd Varner was born March 11, 1934 in Milam County, Texas of the parents Frank Varner Jr. a farmer and disabled WWI veteran and Eunice McLean Varner a school teacher. He grew up in southern California and central Texas graduating from Temple High School in Temple, Texas in 1951. There he met fellow classmate Vivian Jean Teer whom he married in December 1951. Because of the ongoing Korean War, he entered the U.S Air Force immediately upon graduation and served in photography. Upon discharge he attended the University of Texas receiving a BS in Pharmacy initially practicing community pharmacy in Houston, Texas. He later obtained an MS in Hospital Pharmacy from The Ohio State University along with a Residency in Hospital Pharmacy Practice from the Ohio State University Hospitals. He reentered the Air Force as a pharmacy officer during the Vietnam War ultimately retiring as a lieutenant colonel with 25 years’ service. Because he came from a family of WWI and WWII combat veterans, he always rued the fact that he never went to either Korea or Vietnam combat zones during those war years. He was actually on orders to become Pharmacy Director of the 1,000 bed Air Evac Hospital at CamRanh, Vietnam but the position was downgraded so the orders were cancelled. He always said, "Times are pretty bad when during wartime a captain is too much rank for a position".  After Air Force retirement, he continued hospital pharmacy practice first in Arizona and ultimately retiring from The Western Pennsylvania Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was a past member of a number of local and national pharmaceutical organizations including the national pharmacy honor society. He was a member of the First Baptist Church Missouri City, Texas. He enjoyed travel, reading, especially history, and spending time with his "girls", grandchildren and great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife of sixty-seven years Vivian Jean Teer Varner (and survived by) three daughters: Kimble Michele Lemen of Canton, GA; Karen Elaine Phillips of Cabot, and Kelly Ann Young of Georgenborn, Germany, six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. There will be a graveside service with internment at National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Bridgeville, PA at a future date with full military honors. 

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