Leonard Roy Harris, Sr.

Services for Mr. Leonard Roy Harris, Sr. were held Saturday, March 10, 2007 at the Crescent Heights Baptist Church. Burial was in Malakoff Cemetery under the direction of Tomlinson Funeral Home, Malakoff..

Mr. Harris was born Sept. 5, 1919 to Joel Robert and Nannie Viola Perkins Harris in Murchison, Texas. He passed away March 6, 2007 in Athens, Texas.

He started school in Murchison in 1926, and graduated high school in Los Angeles, California in 1937. He was drafted in 1942 and served in WWII. He was honorably discharged Dec. 7, 1945. He then moved to Galveston to work as a longshoreman for 3 years. Upon return to the Athens area, he assisted his family in raising two nieces and one nephew, due to the death of their mother, a sister.

In 1956 he made his home in Malakoff, Texas, where he met and married Lois Ancil Morrison on August 1, 1959. He spent his career at various auto dealerships in the Athens and Malakoff area, where he retired as parts manager from John Glatt Ford in Athens in Sept. 1986.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Robert Lee, Richard Leo, Eugene V'Debs and infant brother, Andrew; also one sister, Mattie Dovie Boyd; one grandson, Jeramy Chad Nichols, and three nephews.

Mr. Harris is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lois; three daughters, Reba and Tim Nichols, Malakoff, Janet and Bubba Fitts, Kemp, Alisha and Kevin Harris, Athens; one son, Leonard Jr. and Shannon, Malakoff; one special niece, Hazel and Joe Denson, Davis, California; one sister, Lucille Hicks, Athens; and one brother, Joel Vernon Harris of Tyler; grandchildren Kasey Jamison, Kelsey Anders, Monica Davis, Josh McClintock, Kim Fitts, Dippie Brown, Justin Harris, Bryson Baker, Matthew Harris, Mallory Paige Harris; great-grandchildren, Hunter and Fisher Davis, Rowdy Anders and Ryder Holiman and Loden Gus Jamison; numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.

Pallbearers were Matthew Harris, Bryson Baker, Justin Harris, Josh McClintock, Josh Jamison, and Jeremy Brown.

Honorary pallbearers were granddaughters and great-grandchildren.