Robert Lawrence Harwell

Shreveport, LA - A celebration of the life of Robert L. Harwell will be held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, August 4, 2018 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Shreveport, Louisiana, with Father Paul Martin, rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, officiating along with Father Sean Duncan, and Father Thomas Nsubuga. Internment of his ashes will follow the service in the church rose garden. Mr. Harwell passed away Wednesday, August 1, 2018, following a lengthy illness. Mr. Harwell, a native of Shreveport, Louisiana, was born in 1939. He attended C.E. Byrd High School and went on to receive a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. He later owned and operated Harwell Productions, Inc., an advertising agency, until his retirement in the spring of 2018. His contributions to the community included membership in the Shreveport Chapter of the Jaycees, and service to the Volunteers of America Adoption Agency, serving as a Chairman of Public Relations and in other board functions. An active and devout Christian and member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, he served the Lord in many facets, including positions as a Christian education leader, vestryman, and senior warden. He served the Episcopal Diocese of Western Louisiana as editor of the diocesan newspaper, "ALIVE!" for 39 years. He also completed the Education for Ministry extension course from the University of the South, School of Theology. A devoted family man he always found time to nurture his children and grandchildren. The family has cherished memories of his love of photography, childhood vacations on the beach, learning to play golf, chocolate fondue around the dinner table, and dancing in the kitchen to "Solid Gold" on Saturday nights. Mr. Harwell was preceded in death by his father, Marion Lovell Harwell, his mother, Laura Guillot Harwell, and his sister, Marianne Harwell Haynes. He is survived by the love of his life for 51 years, Maryse Maynard Harwell, his son Robert Scott Harwell and wife Katie, of El Dorado, Arkansas; son Douglas Marion Harwell and wife Martha of York, England; and daughter, Kendal Harwell Blanchard and husband Jeffrey, of Fairhope, Alabama; and five grandchildren, Gray Harwell, Millye Harwell, Elodie Blanchard, Anneliese Blanchard, and Havolynne Blanchard. He is also survived by his brother Thomas L. Harwell, of Shreveport, Louisiana; his nephews Gary Harwell of Bossier City, Louisiana, and Mike Poytress of Magnolia, Texas; and nieces Susan McQueary of Shreveport, Louisiana, and Melanie Russell of Houston, Texas. Honorary pallbearers include members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrews, Stith Bynum, Richard Chilvers, Mark Ferrant, Corey Gabler, David Langley, and Ronald Smith. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church's Haiti Educational Foundation.