Former LaPorte County official Harmon dies at 69

January 4, 2007
BY STAN MADDUX Post-Tribune
He was one of the little guys in the successful David vs. Goliath fights with the Northern Indiana Public Service Co., but in the local political scene, Marlow Harmon was among the giants.

Harmon, 69, died suddenly in his sleep just days after finishing his second and final term on the LaPorte County Board of Commissioners.

"He came home last night and laid down and that was it," his son, Scott Harmon, said Wednesday morning.

"It makes you reflect on just how fragile life really is," said LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris, who served with Harmon on the LaPorte County Solid Waste District Board.

After his final meeting Dec. 19 as commissioners president, Harmon said the moment was bittersweet but he was looking forward to less pressure.

He also reflected on LaPorte County's victories against NIPSCO in recent years over high rates and plans to shut down maintenance hubs.

"If I had to take them to court again I'd start tomorrow," he said.

Scott Harmon said his father seemed healthy and planned to help out more with the family construction business.

"You don't think things like this will happen to people like that, but it does," he said.

During a recent visit, LaPorte County attorney Shaw Friedman said they shared a few laughs telling old political stories.

He said Harmon leaves a legacy of helping to move LaPorte County forward in many areas, including economic development.

One of his final acts was voting to run water and sewer from Michigan City to a nearby 200-acre site targeted for a $20 million retail and light industrial development at U.S. 421 and Interstate 94.

"Whether it was standing up to powerful interests like NIPSCO or Waste Management or moving county services into the new century, we are all better off from his having been in county government," Friedman said.

Harmon also served two terms on the City Council in Michigan City.

In 1986, he retired from the Michigan City Police Department after 20 years of service.

Enlarged heart contributed to death


By Stan Maddux, For The News-Dispatch

Just days into his retirement from politics, Marlow Harmon died in his sleep.

LaPorte County Coroner Dr. Vidya Kora said Thursday the retired Michigan City police officer died from an enlarged heart resulting from high blood pressure. Kora said the enlarged heart triggered an irregular heart beat, leading to cardiac arrest early Wednesday as Harmon slept at his Michigan City home.

An autopsy at St. Anthony Memorial showed the heart of the former LaPorte County commissioner was much greater than normal size, Kora said, explaining that high blood pressure causes the walls of the heart to thicken from having to pump harder “against an increased resistance.”

As the walls thicken, the flow of electrical current that allows the heart to beat can be interrupted, causing sudden death, Kora said.

Harmon, 69, was taking medication, but if high blood pressure isn't detected soon enough, thickening of the walls can result. The heart remains oversized, though, even after medication is taken, he said.

“The enlargement of the heart that occurs before the initiation of the treatment still persists,” Kora said.

Two days prior to his death, Harmon's term on the LaPorte County Commission ended, after he had served two terms. He was soundly defeated in the May primary by Mike Bohacek.

LaPorte County Attorney Shaw Friedman, a friend of Harmon, said “the giant steps taken by LaPorte County in recent years to move forward in terms of economic development and other issues cannot be overlooked.”

“Sometimes voters express a desire for change. Marlow understood that and realized sometimes an election doesn't go your way,” Friedman said.

Harmon also served two terms on the Michigan City Common Council, where he was a member of the police force for 20 years before retiring in 1986.

Visitation for Harmon is scheduled for 2-8 p.m. Sunday at Root Funeral Home. The funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at Notre Dame Catholic Church.