Florence May Harpole

Florence May Harpole, 79, of Sutherland, passed away on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Born in Philadelphia, PA, she was the daughter of the late Phillip W. Barr and Helen Barr (Crehan). She was preceded in death by her husband, Colonel Jan Hess Harpole, a veteran of the U. S. Army. Flo moved with her family several times before settling in Downers Grove, Illinois. She worked to put herself through college and graduated from Northern Illinois University with a teaching degree. She caught the travel bug early in life. After college, she traveled Europe until she found a teaching job, on an army base in Germany, where she met her husband, a young lieutenant at the time. Together they raised three kids and lived in many places throughout Europe and the U.S. Flo had several teaching jobs over the years and enjoyed tending to various animals and vegetable gardens. She and Jan settled in Dinwiddie County in 2005. She recently retired from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), in Richmond, working in Administration. In her spare time, she enjoyed volunteering as a Master Gardener, tending to her cows, and spending time with her friends and family.
She is survived by her children, Tevya (Justin), Thane (Eany), and Theron (Amanda); grandchildren, Coralie, Ailin, Aden, Artemis, and Arya; and brother, Phil (Janet).
A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am, on Friday, July 18, 2025, at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, in Petersburg, VA. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service, from 10:00 am to 10:45 am, in the church function hall. Burial service will take place following the service, at 2:00 pm, at Virginia Veterans Cemetery at Amelia.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Fairfield Foundation, fairfieldfoundation.org, or a charity of your choice.