July 13, 2026

L. Ruple Harley, Jr., 82, of Ninety-Six, husband of Karen Lopiano Harley, passed away Monday, July 13, 2026.

Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on April 29, 1944, he was the son of the late Lamar Ruple Harley, Sr. and Billie Davis Harley. In 1946, his family moved to Greenwood when his father purchased Ellis Funeral Home, beginning a legacy that would become Harley Funeral Home and Crematory.

Ruple dedicated more than six decades to the profession of funeral service, faithfully following in his father's footsteps before assuming leadership of the family business. He believed that caring for families during life's most difficult moments was not simply a profession but a calling. Through his unwavering integrity, compassionate heart, and steadfast commitment to excellence, he carried forward the values established by his father while helping Harley Funeral Home and Crematory grow into a well-respected family-owned business in Greenwood. Nothing brought him greater pride than seeing the third and fourth generations of the Harley family continue that tradition of service.

To the Greenwood community, Ruple was much more than a funeral director. He was a servant leader whose love for his hometown inspired decades of civic engagement, volunteerism and community leadership. Whether promoting Greenwood through the South Carolina Festival of Flowers, which he was instrumental in establishing in 1968 and served as Festival chairman five times, mentoring future funeral service professionals or supporting countless charitable organizations and community initiatives, he believed that success carried with it a responsibility to give back. For his lifelong festival ambassadorship, Ruple was recognized in February 2019 as the Southeast Festival and Event Association's Best Volunteer Award. His influence extended far beyond the walls of the funeral home, leaving a lasting impact on Greenwood, the funeral profession and the many lives he touched. Ruple received the honor of being inducted into the Greenwood County Hall of Fame in 2020. Ruple was involved in the formation of what is now Hospice & Palliative Care of the Piedmont and served on the capital campaign committee when the Hospice House was being planned and built.

He received numerous local, state, and national honors throughout his lifetime-including serving as President of the South Carolina Funeral Directors Association in 1992 and President of the National Funeral Directors Association in 1998. In 1992, Ruple qualified for the designation as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice.

Outside of his many professional and community commitments, Ruple treasured the friendships he shared within the Grand Harbor community, where he and Karen created countless memories enjoying golf, social gatherings and the fellowship of dear friends.

He was a member of Main Street United Methodist Church.

Ruple is survived by his wife, Karen; his children, L. Ruple Harley, III and his wife, Carol, and Allison Harley Cobb and her husband, Michael; his stepson, Aaron Counts and his wife, Amanda; his grandchildren, who affectionately referred to him as "Papa Rup", Kerri Thompson and her husband, Will, Davis Renee Migdalas and her husband, Theo, Ben Harley, Hampton Cobb, Davis Cobb and his future wife, Desi, and AliGrace Cobb; and his great grandchildren, Annie, Thomas and Ella Migdalas.

In addition to his parents, Ruple was preceded in death by his brother, Henry Clifton Harley, II.

Services will be at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at Main Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. R. T. Bowling officiating. Entombment will be private.

Please visit the Harley Funeral Home website for additional information and to read the full obituary.

L. Ruple Harley, Jr. served as President of the National Funeral Directors Association in 1998.