Tom Harley, age 66, passed away at his home on December 21, 2018. Tom was a proud Michigan State
University (MSU) graduate of the School of Landscape Architecture. A lifelong member of the
Alumni Association and Spartan fanatic, he never missed a Spartan football or basketball game.
The running joke was that he “bled Green and White”.
He worked as a landscape designer for 36 years throughout Northern Virginia before retiring in
2016. He took great pride in transforming client’s yards into beautiful extensions of their homes.
His work reflected his innate ability to see beauty where others couldn’t. He was an amazing
artist, a musician who loved to play the piano and an avid fisherman.
His love of the sea and surf fishing led him to retire in Buxton, NC. He quickly became involved
in the community as a member of the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club (CHAC), a judge of the annual
fishing tournament and was recently voted to the CHAC Board. He was best known for
volunteering to be a Bingo caller; the funds from which benefited local high school students with
educational scholarships.
But most important to Tom was his loving family, his wonderful friends that he considered
family and his clients who became dear friends. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Mary C
Grindatti Harley; his daughters Amy Harley of Atlanta, GA. and Crystal (Matthew) Cobb of
Severna Park, MD; granddaughters Ashley Evans of Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Brooke Evans of
Cooper City, Fl and Brittney (Scott) Harrison of Tamarac, FL; grandsons Cody Thomas Harley
Winokur of West Point, NY, Luke and Cade Cobb of Severna Park, MD and two great
grandchildren, Allie and Scotty J Harrison of Tamarac, FL.
He is also survived by his sister Jan (Tom) Theis of Grand Ledge, Michigan, his beloved Dad, Charles D Gill of Lansing, MI, sisters-
in-law Eadie Harley of Holt, MI and Leslie Gill of Bossier City, LA; his mother-in-law Angie
Grindatti of Kalamazoo, MI, brother-in-law William (Kris Herzog) Grindatti of Oakland, CA.
and his wife’s second family Lori Kinnamon, Rick (Paula) Prosser, Greg (Nancy) Prosser, Joe
Charlebois and many cousins, nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. He was preceded in
death by his parents Patty J Gill and Donald E Harley Sr. and his brothers Donald E Harley Jr.,
Paul T Gill, sisters-in-law Margo Charlebois, Lisa Waros and brothers-in-law Dan Kinnamon
and Marvin Wilson and Shawn Grindatti.
A Celebration of Life was held on January 17, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist
Church, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Oakton, VA. An additional Celebration of Life will be held in
Michigan with visitation on February 15 at St Michael’s Parish, 345 Edwards St, Grand Ledge,
MI 48837 from 6-8 pm, followed by a funeral Mass at 11:am on February 16 at St. Michaels. In
lieu of flowers please consider donations in Tom’s name to the CHAC Anglers Club Scholarship
Fund, PO Box 145 Buxton, NC or the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad, PO Box 639, Buxton, NC.
