Harmon had been sick with pneumonia for several weeks before her death, according to reports. She worked at her Aunt Joy's bakery the day before she was taken into hospital, where she spent one to two weeks, followed by a several-week stint at a rehabilitation center. She then returned home to spend her final days on hospice care with loved ones. The exact cause of her death has not been confirmed, nor have the specific dates of her hospital and rehabilitation stays been disclosed.
Harmon was known for her sultry turn as car-washer Lucille in the 1967 classic Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman. She also appeared in films including Village of the Giants, Angel in my Pocket, and One Way Wahine, and TV roles on Bewitched, The Odd Couple and Batman. She made her Broadway debut in the 1958 play Make a Million before her 19th birthday, and was born in Queens in 1940, grew up in Connecticut, and competed to be named Miss Connecticut before starting her stage career in Bridgeport.
Harmon moved away from her Hollywood career to focus on raising her three children with her ex-husband Jeff Gourson. She later pivoted to running a successful bakery in Burbank, California. She is survived by her three children and nine grandchildren. According to TMZ, her family remembered her as a positive thinker full of life and vibrancy who spread joy throughout her life.