Battell Chapel Friday was filled with singing, praying, and warm-hearted remembrances of Wendell Carl Harp.
Harp, a prominent architect and developer and the leading black political powerbroker of his generation, died last Friday evening of colon cancer at the age of 64. His passing surprised even many people close to him; he kept his condition private as he conducted a busy professional and personal life to the end.
Click here to read a tribute to Harp, a detailed obituary, and dozens of personal comments posted by readers.
Some 500 people attended Harp’s two-hour funeral at Battell Friday. The crowd included all the surviving prominent black political figures of the past few decades, including former State Treasurer Hank Parker, former State Rep. Jan Parker, former State Rep. Bill Dyson, NAACP honcho Roger Vann, State Supreme Court Justice Lubbie Harper, current state legislators Tony Walker and Gary Holder-Winfield; statewide African-American leaders such as Hartford’s Carrie Saxon Perry, Connecticut’s first female African-American mayor, and Bridgeport’s Charles Tisdale; and community activists like Black Panther George Edwards and Hill organizer Ann Boyd. Other prominent attendees included current State Rep. Pat Dillon, aldermen such as Andrea Jackson-Brooks of the Hill, former Board of Aldermen President Tomas Reyes, former U.S. Rep. Larry DeNardis, and State Senate President Don Williams.
All knew Wendell Harp, who though a private figure had his hand in most of the major political battles of the past 35 years. Harp’s wife, Toni, is a long-serving state senator.
In one of the day’s many tributes, Brian Jenkins, a former alderman who now lives in the Atlanta area, took issue with one published description of Harp as “misunderstood.”
“Wendell wasn’t misunderstood,” Jenkins declared. “He was with you or he was against you. Everyone knew where he stood.”
That drew knowing chuckles and head-bobs from the crowd, many of whom were veterans of New Haven’s political battles.
Clifton Graves, whom Harp drafted to run for mayor this year, recalled weekly strategy sessions with Harp: Graves waiting while Harp met with local teens who would bring in their homework for him to review, and whom he would give jobs.
“That was Wendell Harp,” Graves said.
Several speakers noted the many people Harp mentored, teaching them business skills, encouraging their educational careers, giving them jobs. And Harp’s grown children, Djana, Jamil, and Wendell Matthew, spoke movingly of the life lessons their father taught them in religious morals, perseverance, and love.
The last speaker was Brother John Stewart. He said Harp had asked him to speak at the funeral about one subject — Harp’s embrace of a religious life and his devotion to God. Stewart spoke of long and enthusiastic hours Harp spent studying and participating in services at the Church of Christ on Gem Street in Newhallville.
The family asked that donations be made to the following educational institutions:
New Haven Scholarship Fund
c/o Mr. Peter Stolzman
20 Peddlars Drive
Branford CT 06405
Howard University
Development and Alumni Relations
2225 Georgia Avenue, NW, Suite 616
Washington DC 20059
Donations can be made by check or money order, with appropriate notation “…in Memory of Wendell Harp.”
The Wendell Harp I knew for 24 years
Today we placed Wendell Harp's body in the ground, but his spirit and his inspirations are very much alive. Wendell Harp was a very smart, insightful, honest, unique, hardworking, generous and exceptional human being. He was certainly-- in my mind—a part of DuBois' "Talented Tenth." Mary Collier describes him well when she said: "Wendell's kindness, honor, respect, truth and compassion supersede the norm for this world we live in. He was truly a Godly Man. He was the very best friend you could ever have because he always told you the truth especially when you were wrong."
Wendell has helped thousands of people, and the best of what he has done for the most people he has helped will never be known because he wanted it that way. I am very pleased that he was a friend of mine. The article that Paul Bass wrote on 12/3/11 titled Lunch With Wendell is one of the most honest and unique pieces of journalism I have read in a long time. Wendell has that effect on people; he challenges us to rise to being our best selves; he did not tolerate excuses very well, especially when he believed you could do better. Every speaker at the service today stated that in one way or another. He has left his family with the richest of legacies – great examples of how to live well.
Comments by his children and his nieces were truly inspiring to every parent, and especially to those of us who at times might think-- I cannot get to the parent teachers meeting, or I cannot give any more time to doing this or that, or who might be tempted to use the TV as an alternative to beneficial parent and children interactions.
Like many other exceptional, committed and unique individuals, Wendell Harp was sometimes misinterpreted by those who tried to judge him by their own standards. Paul Bass wrote: "He also didn't often meet reporters for lunch. In fact, it's unclear whether he ever talked to a reporter, at least for a story. Reporters often wanted to talk to Wendell Harp." Yes, they did; sadly, there were those reporters who, when they could not grill him with irrelevant questions used conjecture and innuendos to make up their own stories; they conjectured; some were simply unethical. Those people Wendell tuned out completely.
I met Toni and Wendell Harp in 1987; they were two people who really care about making a positive difference in every way that they can. Wendell was an eternal optimist; he tried to see and share with others all sides of the situation. He recently asked me: "Do you believe the Devil is more powerful than God?" I said no, but the Devil is more active. Wendell replied: "that is only true if you are not paying attention to the opportunities God is offering you." That was Wendell Harp; the man who encouraged us to live more fully; to live positively, and to seize opportunities to make our lives better and not waste time on evil-doers. He liked people who were tenacious and hard-working; he thought it was important to do good for others and for the community without ever thinking about getting anything in return. It was great to get re-inspired today. Every speaker reinforced various aspects of the remarkable man I knew him to be. He was a gift to our community.
I hope that all of us whose lives he touched so positively will be able to seize every opportunity to do as he asked us to – pass it on to others. Help those we can in whatever ways we can, and by so doing make the larger community a better place for everyone. Wendell Harp certainly did his share.