Passed away peacefully Wednesday, March 13, 2013, age 82. Beloved husband of Dessie Thompson Harris. Loving father of Judy (Stephen) Harris Middleton and James T. (Janine) Harris. Doting grandfather to Jackson, Andrew, Oliver and Reagan. Also loved by other relatives and friends.
Visitation at MOUNT ZION BAPTIST CHURCH, 2207 North 2nd Street, Thursday, March 21, 9:30-11:00 AM. Funeral Service 11:00 AM. Entombment at Wisconsin Memorial Park.
Memorials appreciated to the Alzheimer's Association.
Randolph Harris never met a stranger. He simply loved people. He was jovial, had a great sense of humor – and a ready smile. He also had a big heart and his acts of kindness touched the lives of many. Above all else, he genuinely loved his family and God.
Randolph, who was known as "Randy" to his family and friends, was born on April 26, 1930 to Earlean and Oscar Harris in Louisville, Mississippi. He was the youngest of three children. Randy was educated in the Louisville public school system, and after high school, he proudly served his country in the United States Army during the Korean War.
In 1958, his grandmother, Dana Moore, who had raised him from an early age, urged him to move to Milwaukee. Two years later, on July 23, 1960, he married Dessie E.Thompson. Within a few years, a daughter, Judy Harris (Middleton), and a son, James Thompson Harris, were born. Throughout his life, he was a devoted husband and father. Later in life, he was blessed with four grandchildren, who were his delight and joy.
Randy was a man of God and loved talking about his faith. He was raised in the church in Mississippi and when he moved to Milwaukee, he joined Mt. Zion Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Lovelace. One of his proudest moments was when he became a deacon of the church, and he took great pride in carrying out his responsibilities. He also loved to sing and was a member initially of the Gospel Chorus, Chancel Choir and Male Chorus under the direction of Maybelle Kleckley. In addition, he sang on several community choirs including the Jubilee Choir and the Heritage Choral of Milwaukee.
Randy's service to others extended beyond the church. He was always "on call" to anyone who needed a helping hand – day or night. He was a skilled handy man and could figure out how to do almost anything. He continued helping others into his later years by mowing grass for his "customers", as he called them. This provided him with hours of enjoyment and fun, and he loved helping people keep their lawns in excellent condition
One of Randy's favorite pastimes with his family was fishing, and he shared his catches with friends and neighbors. After he retired, he would often talk about going fishing again, but said he was "too busy" to get out to the lake.
Another favorite pastime was bowling. He was an avid bowler for over fifty years and was in many leagues and tournaments in town and across the country. Randy was never short of having an opinion and loved to give people pointers on how to improve their game….even though those same suggestions did not work for him!
During Randy's years in Wisconsin, he worked at Wisconsin Packing Company for nearly two decades and eventually retired from Briggs and Stratton after fifteen years of service.
It is hard to summarize the life of this great man in a few paragraphs. He touched the lives of so many people and will be sadly missed. Something he once said, however, now gives us comfort. "We are just passing through, we did not come here to stay. Our home is not here." We know he is now home with God.
Randy is survived by his wife of 53 years, Dessie Thompson Harris; his children, James T. Harris (Janine) and Judy Harris Middleton (Stephen); and four grandchildren, Jackson (19), Oliver (14) Reagan (12), and Andrew (15); and two godchildren, Kenny Matthews and Alexis Sherard. He is also survived by Henry Mae Lewis, his only living 1st cousin who was like a sister to him, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his sister, Ruth Hampton, of Mississippi, and his brother, David Harris, of California.
Grandkids
A poem written by James Harris for Randy's 60th Birthday
It's enough to make him cry
Sit down and wonder why?
Sometimes even cry!
Sixty and still no grandkids
It's enough to make him sad
Sometimes even mad
Desiring the feeling to have
At least one maybe two grandkids
His daughter is on the move
His son will never finish school
His kids have broken all the rules
They're nearing thirty with no good prospects!
So he sits in his big brown chair
Praying, fighting despair
Wondering where did he error?!
Sixty and still no grandkids!
Happy Birthday Dad!
—–Just two short years later, the grandchildren started to arrive.
They were his joy and delight!
