It is with great sadness that the family of Larry Harrison, 81, a longtime resident of Stone Mountain, Ga., and formerly of Perry, announces his passing Sunday, Sept. 2, 2018, after a battle with pneumonia.
Visitation will be Saturday, Sept. 8 from 2-3 p.m., followed by funeral services at the Carris Family Funeral Home and Cremation Care in Perry. Burial will be at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry.
Memorials in lieu of flowers to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Larry Dean Harrison was born June 28, 1937, in Perry, Iowa, to Paul Dean and Mildred (Black) Harrison.
He lived on the family farm until moving to town at about 8 years of age, and he graduated from Perry High School in 1954.
Larry joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed for three years in Germany as a cryptographer.
Returning to Perry, he took a job with the local natural gas utility, embarking on a long sales career that took him to Minnesota Wisconsin and Geogia. He often said that calling on his customers was more like visiting friends.
He attended college at the University of Iowa at the same time as Helen Ann Nelson. They were united in marriage May 20, 1962. He thought very highly of her parents, Ransome and Helen (Anderson) Nelson, always referring to them as the salt of the earth.
Following the death of his sister, Carolyn Stream, in 1959, he maintained a strong connection with his brother-in-law, Wendell Stream, and nephew, Douglas Stream, as well as Wendell’s second wife, Donna (Lee), and their two daughters, JoLisa Lee (Shawn) Miles and Tresa Ann (Brad) Dietrich.
Larry loved pheasant hunting, fishing in Canada, playing softball, tennis, cribbage and in later years golfing with friends Lyle and Kay Helgerson, and he was a happy man when his Vikings and Braves won.
He was preceded in death by his son, Michael Dean Harrison; sister, Carolyn Stream; and brother-in-law, Wendell Stream.
Survivors include his loving wife of 56 years; son, Kurt; brothers-in-law, Jim, John and Bill Nelson; sisters-in-law, Karen (Larry) Taylor and Linda Nelson; and numerous cousins; nieces; and nephews.
