Lauren Martin Harper

March 25th, 1944 to January 20th, 2024

Marty Harper was a simple man. Married for 56 years, he loved his wife "Cookie" (Margaret), his daughter and only child Kelly (Stropki), his son-in-law Jason (Stropki), and his grandsons Zachary and Brock more than anything in the world. Papaw Marty would do anything for those two boys and spoiled them as much as he could. A lifelong resident of Canton, Marty graduated from Timken Vocational High School, and was a veteran of the US Army. A cobbler from an early age at his family's shoe repair business, Marty and Cookie owned and operated North Canton Shoe Service for 45 years and were members of St. Paul Catholic Church. He was also employed at Diebold for 24 years. Never one to turn down an invitation to go out to eat, he liked John's Bar, Pizza Oven, and a good steak anywhere (and he always picked up the tab!). Marty was a very generous man with a big heart, always selflessly helping others without any fanfare for himself. For vacations, Marty's favorite spot was sitting on a beach at Hilton Head Island with his lifelong best friend, Gary Taylor, and his favorite beer, a Busch Light, in his hand. The stories this good 'ol American boy could tell were always quite something! Marty leaves behind many good friends and loving relatives. He will be missed dearly by all, and we are sure he currently has Jesus' sandals in tip top shape.

Calling hours will be Thursday, January 25 from 5-7 PM at the Arnold & Spiker-Foster-Shriver Funeral Home at 4817 Cleveland Ave NW. Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday at 10:00 AM at St. Paul Catholic Church in North Canton with Fr. John Keehner officiating. Final resting place is North Lawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers the family kindly asks for donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), a cause close to his heart.