John Harrison Jr.

John was born March 2, 1927, to John and Emma Harrison in Poteau, OK. He and his family moved to Mississippi and Arkansas for a short time, and in 1931 moved back to Monroe, OK, where he spent his childhood. In February of 1945, during his senior year in high school, he joined the Navy. After 9 weeks of boot camp in San Diego, John, a 3rd class petty officer, was assigned to the amphibious landing craft stationed on Guam in the Marianas Islands preparing for the invasion of Japan when Japan surrendered. He served in the Navy for 17 months and was discharged on July 29, 1946 in Norman, OK. John went home to Monroe for a few days, and then enrolled at Oklahoma A & M in Stillwater to pursue a degree in Vocational Agriculture. Due to limited space at the college in Stillwater, he began his college education at an extension of Oklahoma A & M in Okmulgee. He attended school in Okmulgee for 3 semesters and summer school before moving to Stillwater. He met and began dating Ruth Cross shortly after arriving in Okmulgee. John and Ruth were married on March 25, 1948 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. As newlyweds, they made their home in Stillwater while John completed his education. He graduated in May of 1949 from Oklahoma A & M with a Bachelor of Science in Vocational Agriculture. They moved to Ft. Gibson in the summer of 1949 where he started the Vocational Agriculture program at the high school. Over the years he was involved with and enjoyed many FFA students and events. John taught agriculture in Ft. Gibson for 20 years. In 1969, he received his master’s degree and Principal’s certificate from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, and was the Principal of Ft. Gibson High School from 1969–1978. John became the Superintendent of Ft. Gibson Public Schools in the fall of 1978 and retired in 1992. After retiring, he continued raising cattle and tending his pecan orchard as well as growing watermelons, cantaloupes, and other produce commercially. The Harrison Field House at Ft. Gibson High School was dedicated in his honor in 1993. John was a member of Ft. Gibson First Baptist church where he served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, choir member, and on numerous committees since moving to Ft. Gibson. In the summer of 2014, he moved to Norman to be close to his family. John became a member of Pink Baptist Church in Pink, OK. His love for the Lord was evident in the Christian example he showed in all aspects of his life. He was loved and cherished by his entire family and numerous friends, and will be tremendously missed. God called him home on July 25, 2017. John was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Harrison, his parents, John and Emma Harrison, one grandson, John “Phillip” Hicks, one sister, Ann Morris, and two nephews, Tid Morris and Ken Harrison. Survivors include two daughters; Linda Harrison of Moore, and Carol Hicks and her husband Bill of Norman; two grandsons, Bill Hicks, Jr. and his wife Lori of Mustang, and Matt Hicks and his wife Rebecca of Norman; one granddaughter, Kelly Shank and her husband Andrew of Norman; six great grandsons, Bill Hicks III and Tommy Hicks of Mustang, Phillip’s sons, Caleb and Josh Hicks of Shelbyville, Indiana, and Andrew and Michael Shank of Norman; one great granddaughter, Hope Shank of Norman; one brother, Robert Louis Harrison, and his wife Cordella of Blacksburg, Virginia; three nephews, Louis, Cliff, and Bruce Harrison of Virginia; and many other loving family members and precious friends. A visitation will be held Monday, July 31, 2017 at the Clifford D Garrett Family Funeral Home in Fort Gibson with family receiving friends from 5PM-7PM. A service celebrating John’s life will be held at noon, Tuesday, August 1, 2017, at First Baptist Church, Fort Gibson, with Rev. Danny Gandara and Rev. Mike Collyer officiating. Committal prayers, interment will follow at the Fort Gibson National Cemetery with full military honors. Serving as casket bearers are Butch Cook, Dick Sheffield, Jerry Walker, Lonnie Rowan, Matt Arnold, Mike Moore, Preston Gray and Rick Thompson. Honorary casket bearers are Bill Andrews, Budo Perry, Darrell Arnold, Dick Adkins, Henry White, JC Hooley, Javier Enriquez, John Moffitt, Larry Dale Cooper, Paul Howe, Ralph Armstrong, Rick Way, Senator Earl Garrison and Wayne Osburn. The family of John Harrison Jr. have entrusted his services and burial to Clifford D Garrett Family Funeral Home and Cremation Service 1224 E Poplar Fort Gibson. 918-478-2555 Online condolences may be left at clifforddgarrettfh.com

John Harrison Jr.

March 2, 1927 - July 25, 2017