Citadel Alumni Obituaries

Harley Langdale, Jr., 98, of Valdosta, GA, died on Sunday, February 10,
2013. He was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on September 8, 1914 the oldest of
four children to Harley and Thalia Lee Langdale. After graduating from
Valdosta High School, he attended the Citadel before transferring to the
University of Georgia to study Forestry. He was the first person from
Lowndes County to receive a BSF Degree in Forestry from UGA. Mr. Langdale
became the third Registered Forester in the state of Georgia. On August 21,
1943 he married the former Eileen Cox of Valdosta. He was a member of the
First Baptist Church of Valdosta. Mr. Langdale was actively engaged in
practicing forestry and developing markets for forest products since 1937
and was a consistent leader in the industry for over seventy years. Under
his leadership, The Langdale Company and its affiliates grew from a small
turpentine and land holding company into a fully integrated diversified
forest products company. As a forester, he was deeply committed to the
preservation and protection of all natural resources. He always focused his
efforts to grow more and better trees per acre and to find markets for wood
products that would be available to landowners and forest managers. Mr.
Langdale, one of the first business environmentalists, helped convert a
timber industry that traditionally left the land stripped of its trees into
a forest products industry that managed the land and its products for future
business and recreational uses. He saw the land support several generations
of trees and more wild game than ever. In the process he dramatically
expanded forest products for consumers and created employment for
communities throughout southern Georgia. In addition to serving as Chairman
of The Langdale Company for many years, Mr. Langdale served in various
business and philanthropic capacities. He served as a Director of Georgia
Southern & Florida Railway Co. for 39 years, Director for the Citizens and
Southern National Bank for over 29 years and a member of their Executive
Committee for over 10 years, Director of Georgia International Life
Insurance Co., Trustee of the Herty Foundation for 25 years, Chairman and
President of Southern Forest Products Association, President of Forest
Farmers Association, President of the Georgia Forestry Association, Chairman
of the Forest Research Society – Southeastern Section, Chairman of the
Society of American Foresters-Southeastern Section, Chairman of the
Valdosta-Lowndes County Industrial Authority during the first five years
that it was established, Treasurer and member of the Valdosta-Lowndes County
Hospital Authority for 23 years, and a Founder and Trustee of the South
Georgia Medical Center Foundation. As acknowledgment of his contributions to
the forest industry and Georgia, he has received the National Forest
Products Association’s Forest Management Award, Georgia Man of the Year
Service to Agriculture Progressive Farmer Award, Forest Farmer Award, J.W.
Fanning Leadership Georgia Award, University of Georgia School of Forest
Resources’ Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Georgia Forestry Association
Wise Owl Award and has been inducted into the Society of American Foresters
Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen
Cox Langdale, his brother John W. Langdale, his brother and sister in law
W.P. (Billy) and Jacquelyn Langdale, his sister Virginia Langdale Miller of
Augusta, GA. He is survived by his sister-in-law Margaret Jones Langdale of
Valdosta, as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews and a family of
employees. A funeral service for Mr. Langdale will be held at 11:30 a.m. on
Thursday, February 14, 2013 at First Baptist Church in Valdosta. Rev. Mac
Weaver will officiate. Entombment will follow at Sunset Hill Cemetery. The
visitation will be held at First Baptist Church on Thursday morning from 10
a.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to
The Langdale Hospice House or the charity of your choice. Condolences may be
conveyed at www.mclanecares.com Carson McLane Funeral Home.

Tags: 1936