Harriet O'Neal

Harriet Byrd O’Neal, 85, of Jonesboro, AR passed away on Tuesday evening, November 10 ^th of 2020 at Arkansas Methodist Hospital. She was born in Memphis, TN on October 21 ^st of 1935 to the late Chester and Beverly Cogbill Byrd. Harriet was a dedicated member of First Presbyterian Church where she spent nearly 60 years playing organ and accompanying the choir. When she wasn’t at the church you could often find her outside of her beloved home gardening, doing yard work, or playing with her dogs; or inside doing crossword puzzles, making deserts, or playing jazz music on one of her two grand pianos. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren at Norfork Lake and entertaining guests in her home, but at the end of the day you could always find her watching the ten o’clock news.

Harriet attended Wynne Senior High School and graduated as valedictorian. She continued on to Rhodes College in Memphis, TN to get her bachelors and then Eastmond School of Music in Rochester, NY where she received her master’s in only one year. She worked at Arkansas State University as a music instructor for over 30 years and in that time she founded and accompanied the Over the Hill Gang, and performed with the North East Arkansas Symphony and the Dixieland Band.  She served as accompanist and director for the Temple Israel which won the Jewish Federation Tikkun Obama “mend the world” award after serving them over 50 years. Throughout her lifetime she performed thousands of recitals and accompanied many notable figures including Bob Hope and Bill Clinton. Her passion and work was always music, specifically the piano and organ, and she integrated this into every aspect of her life.

Harriet two children Elizabeth Day Arnoult and her husband Gerald, and Wesley Sloan Abernathy; and three granddaughters, Emily Ann Arnoult and Ashley Elizabeth Arnoult, and Olivia Rose Abernathy; her sister Lynda Byrd Thomas of Tupelo, MS. She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Dr. Lewis O’Neal.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30pm on November 18 ^th , 2020 at the First Presbyterian Church of Jonesboro.

The family requests that all gifts and donations in her honor be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Jonesboro: 710 Southwest Dr, Jonesboro, AR 72401

Emerson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

To register online, go to www. emersonfuneralhome.com