From Legacy.com
Marvel Harmon Obituary
Obituary published on Legacy.com by J. C. Battle and Sons Funeral Home on Aug. 26, 2025.
Location: J.C. Battle & Sons Funeral Home (543 Rockdale Ave, Cincinnati OH 45229)
Born: Monday 11/09/1953 Died: Thursday 08/21/2025 Died In: Loveland, OH
Visitation
When: Friday 08/29/2025 10:00am to 11:00am
Location: Quinn Chapel
10998 Southland Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45240
Service
When: Friday 08/29/2025 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: Quinn Chapel
10998 Southland Rd
Cincinnati, OH 45240
Burial
When: Friday 08/29/2025 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Location: Spring Grove Cemetery
4521 Spring Grove Ave
Cincinnati, OH 45232
Obituary
Harmon, Marvel Gentry, beloved wife of Arthur W Harmon Jr, devoted mother of Epiphany Davis, Christina Reeves and Justin Harmon. Passed Thursday, August 21, 2025 Age 71 years. Visitation Friday, August 29, 2025 from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM at Quinn Chapel AME Church., 10998 Southland Rd Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 452 Funeral Service on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Quinn Chapel AME Church.. Burial at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Life Story
Marvel Gentry Harmon was born Marvel Denise Gentry on November 9, 1953, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is the eldest child born to Helen Lee Gentry and Marvin Gentry, Sr. She began her formal education at South Woodlawn Elementary School but transferred quickly to North Avondale Elementary School. Marvel accepted Christ at an early age and was baptized by Rev. Otis Moss, Sr at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Lockland, Ohio
As a child, Marvel was the apple of her parents’ and grandparents’ eyes. She was a bright, vibrant, energetic, and curious child who loved to talk, sing, and dance for her family. That’s when her love for entertaining began. She graduated from Walnut Hill High School in 1971 and was accepted to the prestigious Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, with the intention of studying medicine. That did not last very long, but Marvel loved NU nonetheless. During her time at NU, Marvel made history as the first Black pompom girl and the only person of color in the homecoming court. She stayed in the Chicago area after graduating in 1975 and began her professional career in sales, later transitioning into the technology field.
Marvel was highly esteemed in her work life leading to many annual president club recognitions for her accomplishments. Computer Software sales led to newer technology and other companies until Marvel found herself as the publisher of Madeira and Indian Hill Neighbor magazines. As publisher she won the Spirit of Madeira award for her community engagement, and rookie of the year in acknowledgement of her magazines’ successes.
Marvel’s greatest accomplishment is her beautiful daughter. She welcomed Epiphany Elease Gentry Davis in 1989 with her then-husband, Elease Skip Davis. As an only child the bond Marvel shared with her daughter was truly special.
After many years of Marvel and Piph being a dynamic duo, in 2017 Marvel married Arthur W. Harmon, Jr. and gained two more daughters – Christina Reeves and Justin Harmon, and two grandsons, David and Christian Reeves. Marvel and Art loved to travel. Together they went on many adventures, domestically and abroad. They agreed that their romance and the last eight plus were a ‘Divine Conspiracy’ in God’s plan for them, plans to proper them and not to harm them and plans to give them hope and a future in their Golden Years.
Marvel enjoyed many things – travel, music, golf, swimming but most of all Marvel loved the arts and the stage. She was the Producing Artistic Director of ballet tech cincinnati, later arts innovation movement (aim: cincinnati) where she fostered countless performance opportunities for dancers of all ages in the Aronoff Center’s Jarson Kaplan Theater. Not only did she produce new and original shows, but she produced The Gala of International Dance Stars for 10 years – bringing the best of the best in the dance world to Cincinnati. For her passionate efforts, she received several recognitions and honors from the local community. Marvel was an outstanding performer in her own right – from her early days of dancing as a child, through adulthood. More recently Marvel discovered musical theater and truly found a community with the Loveland Stage Company – taking weekly dance classes there and performing with them several times a year.
Marvel was passionate about her relationship with God and ministering to others. Beginning with her work in Southern Baptist Children’s Church and culminating in the ministry she created with her husband. Together, they built Standing in the Gap USA into a strong scripture-based ministry that is available on video and podcast.
Marvel’s life was her greatest performance, filled with love, faith, and joy. Though the curtain has fallen, her light endures, reminding us that it is not the length of life, but the beauty of how it is lived, that truly matters. She was, in every sense, a wonderful woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend, remembered forever as someone for all of us to Marvel.
Marvel is preceded in death by her mother, Helen Lee Gentry; her grandmother, Perrine Richardson; and her uncle, Virgil Thompson. Left to cherish her memory, her loving husband Arthur Harmon, Jr.; her children, Epiphany Davis, Christina Reeves, Justin Harmon; her grandchildren, David Reeves, Christian Reeves; her father Marvin (Rosemary) Gentry, Sr; her siblings, Victoria (James) Crook, Jennifer (Yvette) Gentry, Marvin (Monica) Gentry Jr, Hilde (Barry Willingham) Hochwald, Jonathan (Eyonda) Gentry, Cleoyvonta Longmire Gentry; and countless nieces, nephews, cousins, other family and friends who will miss her immensely.
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
Acknowledgements
There are no words to fully convey our thanks to everyone who called, prayed, visited, sent comforting messages and expressed their sympathy and condolences during the unexpected hospitalization and passing of Marvel Gentry Harmon. The family will send more formal acknowledgements in the weeks ahead.
In lieu of flowers, we ask for charitable donations to the Helen Lee Gentry Scholarship Fund
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