William "Bill" Harms

Harms, William O. - age 88, of Knoxville, died Saturday, February 18, 2012 . A native of Alton, Illinois, he was preceded, in death by his parents Henry J. and Minnie Ida Loellke Harms, and brothers, Robert H. Harms and H. Barnard Harms. Bill served in the U. S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He received the B. S. Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Wayne State University, where he was inducted into the WSU Engineering Hall of Fame in 1984; the Ph. D. Degree in Physical Metallurgy from the University of Minnesota; and the B. A. Degree in Bible/Homiletics from Johnson Bible College. Bill retired from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 1986 after 28 years of service. From 1955 to 1960 he was Associate Professor of Metallurgical Engineering at the University of Tennessee and Consultant to ORNL. As a full-time employee at ORNL he held various research and management positions in the Metals and Ceramics Division before being appointed to the Central Management Office where his last position was that of Director, Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technology Programs. In 1978 he was the U. S. Delegate to the United Nations' International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation Project in Vienna, Austria. Bill was a Fellow Emeritus in the American Nuclear Society and the American Society for Metals International, a Senior Member of The Metallurgical Society, and a member of the honorary societies Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Delta Epsilon Chi. Dr. Harms was an Elder in the Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church where he served as Sunday School teacher and choir member for many years. In 1987 he became the first Commissioned Lay Pastor in the Presbytery of East Tennessee. Dr. Harms served churches in Rogersville, New Market, Maryville, Seymour, and Knoxville, including 5 years as Associate Pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church. Beginning in 1997 he served as Supply Pastor for the Presbytery. Bill's avocation was that of percussionist, having played locally in the Knoxville Symphony under David Van Vactor and on drum set in a number of dance bands and jazz groups including those led by Dick Jones, Bill Lawson, Alan Atkin, Bill Scarlett, and Jack King. Bill was also preceded in death by his infant son Randy. He is survived by his loving wife of seventy years, Mary Grace Luer Harms; son Ben and wife Lucy; daughter Elizabeth; son Larry; and grandson Andrew. A memorial service will be held 2:00 pm Wednesday at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church with The Rev. Dr L. Holton Siegling, Jr. officiating. Interment private. The family will receive friends from 5:00 – 7:00 pm Tuesday at Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Bill Harms Drum-Set Percussion Scholarship Endowment Fund, School of Music, 211 Music Building, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-2600, or to the church or charity of choice. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. Online condolences at www.rosemortuary.com

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William "Bill" Harms

February 18, 2012