William (Bill) Edward Harris

William (Bill) Edward Harris was born on June 21, 1931, in Dover, Delaware, the son of James Lafayette Parks Harris and Sarah (Serafin) Berger. He was born one day before the summer solstice. This would foreshadow a long and bright life to come. Bill’s early life was living on the family farm raising chickens. After they sold the family farm they moved all around the country. Bill attended 13 different schools during his elementary, middle, and high school years finally graduating from John H. Regan High School in Houston. Then it was on to the University of Texas at Austin. Bill was in ROTC during high school, college and commissioned into the army as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1952. He served a short time and returned to University of Texas to finish his studies. UT had a special program where a student would go to school for six years, then earn an undergraduate degree and a law degree.

Bill received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas, Bachelor of Laws from the University of Texas, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas in 1955.

While attending the University of Texas, Bill met Mary K. at one of the Square Dance Club dances. Bill was a square dance caller, and he said square dancing was a good place to meet girls. Square dancing would continue to be a hobby they shared throughout their marriage. Bill and Mary K. married on August 28, 1955, in McAllen, Texas, their honeymoon took them to Colorado Springs where Bill had gotten a job. All of their worldly possessions were loaded into a “Packard” and a small trailer. Five years later they would end up in Fort Worth, Texas where they would spend the rest of their lives.

Bill enjoyed many hobbies; square dancing, ham radio operator, sailing, model T, and various clubs. He had a pilot’s license and was part owner of a small plane. Bill loved the water and enjoyed sailing and was a member of the Fort Worth boat club. Bill and Mary K. traveled to Mexico, Canada, west coast, east coast and everywhere in between. Pulling a trailer was always the way to travel, first with a pop-up and then an RV trailer. Traveling on trips gave Bill an opportunity to use his ham radio. Their children and many of their grandchildren went on the family vacations and have many fond memories. Rotary was a huge part of Bill’s life. He was a member for more than fifty years and active up until the last year of his life. Colleyville Rotary club was the last club he belonged to. He said he got into Rotary from a stranger he met who invited him to come to a meeting. He simply loved Rotary and felt like it was the greatest civic club in the world.

Bill’s professional career was spent primarily in the insurance field. His first job was with Sheppard Citation in Colorado Springs. After 5 years in Colorado, Bill took a job at Miller’s Mutual in Fort Worth. He worked there many years. One of the best parts of the job was getting to go to the Fort Worth Stock-show rodeo every year. He then went into insurance sales, first for Employers Insurance in Fort Worth, followed by Driskel, Johnson, Benson, Moore insurance agency. Lewis Henderson was a friend he made from working at Employers Insurance and worked with his insurance agency. Bill organized and taught Continuing Education classes for insurance agents at Tarrant County Junior College.

Bill was an active member of Davis Memorial United Methodist Church in North Richland Hills, and St. Luke United Methodist Church in Haltom City, serving on various committees and boards. He was very involved with Mary K. in the Mission work of the church. He also belonged to Toastmasters, the Cowtown Model T club of Fort Worth, North Richland Hills Rotary Club, and Colleyville Rotary Club. Bill heard a program at a Rotary meeting about the need for childhood vaccinations which greatly interested him. He did some research and helped start the “Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County”, a traveling program that did and still provides free or low-cost immunizations for children in across Tarrant County. He got his Rotary Club involved; they provided the refrigeration and freezer appliances that were needed. Bill transported these in the back of his pickup from site to site and he helped with clerical work at each site. The church and these clubs were a big part of his life. Bill had a lifelong desire to help others in any way he could.

Bill was always interested in all kinds of vehicles; scooters, cars,

planes, tractors, etc. He learned to drive at a very young age. When Bill was twelve years old, his parents owned a trailer park in Nashville, Tennessee. Bill had the job of backing in the large travel trailers for their customers. The highlight of his vehicles was a 1927 Model T bought from Mary K.’s cousin, Lyndon Davis. It had been stored in Lyndon’s garage in California untouched since 1953. Bill bought it in 2003. Bill and his son, Jamie, spent 10 years restoring the car. The family loved watching the restoration process. Bill drove the Model T in various parades and showed the Model T in several car shows. The car won Best-Pre 1930 car 4 times at the Grandparents Day Car Show in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, James & Sarah Harris, his wife, Mary Kathryn Smith Harris, their son, Jamie Harris, and his Son-In-Law, Tom Harris. He is survived by his children, Kathy and husband Mike Alexander, Sarah Harris, Arthur and wife Janis Harris, Daniel and wife Claire Donnelly Harris. He is also survived by his grandchildren, David and wife Stephanie, Brad and wife Amy, Susan, Shawn & wife Dawn, Bryan, Stephen and wife Kristi, Robert, Blake and wife Shy, Kelly, and Will, and great grandchildren, Anna, Jack, Rilla, Elizabeth, Michael, and Serenity.

Memorials can be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church.