George Reagan Harding

George Reagan Harding, 88, of Sweeny passed away peacefully in his home on July 12th, 2024 surrounded by loving family.

 George, known affectionately to many simply as “Papa”, was born in Mineola, Texas on January 28th, 1936. His family subsequently moved to the Houston area where he attended Deady Junior High and met the love of his life (unbeknownst to either of them at the time) Ms. Donna Hilbert. The two officially became “an item” and dated all through high school. They married in 1956 and enjoyed 67 years deeply committed to family life, their community, and his engineering career with DOW Chemical, Freeport.

 True to his extremely high value set and impeccable moral code, Airman First Class Harding served his country with honor and dignity in the Air Force and was known far and wide for the World War 2 memorabilia that he gathered and proudly displayed in his very own museum.

 He was a mentor to so many young horsemen and women through the years. He created the Mykawa 4H Horse Club in the 1960s and served as a leader there for nearly a decade. He joined the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Horse Show Committee at its inception in 1965 and continued to serve in that role for 35 years. Back in his hometown of Sweeny and in the mid-1980s, he created the Sweeny 4H Horse Club, acknowledging the value of dedicated mentors in the lives of children and could often be overheard saying “I’d rather look at a child over the back of a horse than down the barrel of a gun any day.”

 With a keen eye and an almost supernatural ability to judge good horse flesh, he was a highly sought-after horse show judge all across the state of Texas, always gently guiding and sharing his wealth of knowledge anywhere and to anyone who might benefit from it.

 Survivors include his loving wife, Donna Carolyn Hilbert Harding of Sweeny, daughter Lisa Kay Gee (Bobby) West Columbia, son Randall Keith Harding (Janis) of Brazoria, grandsons Dustin Reagan Gee (Kasie) of Sweeny and Joshua Trevor Harding, Steven Caleb Harding, granddaughters Sarah Melinda Claire Giesecke (Colton), Kimberly Johanna Marie Harding, Abigail Rae Harding, great grandsons Kasen Reagan Gee, Sterling Keith Giesecke, niece Billie Patricia Harding, brother-in-law Jerry Hilbert (Patricia) and numerous nieces and nephews.

 Preceded in death by his parents John Reagan and Fannie Mize Harding, brother Ferman Harding and his wife Roxie, sister Helen Harding Gordon and her husband Hugh. 

 Visitation will be at C.T. Baker Funeral Home at 634 S. Columbia Drive in West Columbia on Friday July 19th at 2:00 PM and the funeral will follow at 3:00 PM Burial will immediately follow with military honors at Sweeny Cemetery.

 Pallbearers are Raymond Hall, Dustin Gee, Kasen Gee, Bobby Simpson, C.W. Blackstock and Roy Blackstock.

 Condolences may be left for the family at www.ctbakerfuneral.com

 Condolences may be left for the family at www.ctbakerfuneral.com