Harold was born in Golden, MS as the son of the late Herbert Minter Ragsdale and Lilla Mae Simmons. After serving during World War II as a navigator, he served in Korea as a radar bombardier as a 1st Lieutenant having flown 25 combat missions over North Korea. In between his two stents of military service he received his mechanical engineering degree from Tennessee Tech and was the valedictorian of his graduating class. He subsequently went to work for IBM as an engineer where he retired in 1984 after 34 years of service. Harold also served as a deacon and elder for the Lanett Church of Christ.

Harold is survived by an elder son, James Harold Ragsdale (Pat) in Darien, GA and a younger son, Mark Edward Ragsdale (Sally) in Duncan, SC. In addition, he is survived by two grandchildren K. Michelle Ragsdale Jauquet (Andrew) and Haley Elizabeth Ragsdale along with two step grandchildren Joey Lake and Jacquelinne Shaw (Wally) and their two children Aiden and Hensley Shaw.