Marguerite Harbert

Met husband John Murdoch Harbert III (d. 1995) in grade school. John parlayed $6,000 in craps winnings into construction giant: power plants, water systems, airports, South American pipeline. Bought coal reserves in eastern Kentucky, Tennessee in 1960s; sold to Amoco for stock during energy crisis in 1970s. Traveled the world, golfed, hunted quail. Son Raymond runs family money. She was born in Birmingham, and was the daughter of the late Raymond McAdoo Jones and the late Marguerite Nabers Jones. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 43 years, John Murdoch Harbert III (founder of Harbert Corporation) and her sister Alice "Acky" McGriff. She is survived by her three children: John "Jay" Murdoch Harbert IV; Raymond Jones Harbert (Kathryn); Marguerite "Margie" Harbert Gray (Sam); her six grandchildren: Raymond Jones Harbert, Jr. (Cole); Mary Kathryn Harbert (Jack); John Murdoch Harbert II; Marguerite Harbert Gray; Samuel Eugene Gray, Jr; Caroline Nabers Gray and three great-granddaughters: Helen Cole Harbert; Mary Mabray Harbert; and Catherine Patton Harbert; plus many loving nieces and nephews. Marguerite, nicknamed "Wita", lived a full and active life. She attended Mountain Brook Elementary, Phillips High School, and graduated from Birmingham Southern College with a double major in liberal arts and science. After graduating from college, Wita worked at the American Red Cross, heading up their safety service division and supervising all the teaching programs in Jefferson County. She also served on several boards: Cancer Comprehensive, Birmingham Southern College, Birmingham Museum of Art, and following her husband's death, Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents. Wita was the co-chair with her husband, John, and Mrs. Crawford "TeeDee" Johnson for the Birmingham Museum of Art's Ball in 1967