Dr. Richard Winn Harrison

Retired Kilgore College professor and administrator Dr. Richard Winn "Doc" Harrison passed away peacefully at his home on April 26,2019, after a brief valiant fight with cancer. Dr. Harrison taught English and speech at KC for 39 years, served as the Communications and Speech Department Chair and finally as the Liberal and Fine Arts Dean before his 2014 retirement.
A memorial service for Dr. Harrison is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11, at the Cross Roads United Methodist Church with the Reverends Shawn Heatherly and David Banks officiating. Visitation will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Kilgore's Rader Funeral Home.
Born January 26,1947, in Paris, Texas, to the Honorable Archibald Myers Harrison and Florence Jeannette Evans Simmons Harrison, Richard participated in Boy Scouts during his early years. He earned the Eagle Scout Rank in 1961 shortly before entering Paris High School and graduating in 1965. Then in 1967, he graduated from Paris Junior College where he was a member of the PJC Rodeo Team.
After his transfer from PJC, Richard earned his B.A. degree in 1969 from Baylor University where he continued his rodeo activities as a member of the rodeo team there. He loved his time at the university, and his passion for the Baylor Bears never ceased. The last event he was able to enjoy was watching the Lady Bears Basketball Team win the national championship. Shortly after his graduation from Baylor, he joined the United States Army Reserve Unit in Paris, serving until 1975.
Beginning in 1970, Richard entered graduate school at East Texas State University, now Texas A&M Commerce, earning both the M.S. (Education) and M.A. (English) degrees in l97I and 1972. In addition, he taught 10th grade English at Clarksville High School in 1971-1972.
He was accepted into the ETSU English Doctoral Program and taught English at the university until he earned his doctorate in 1975, specializing in 19th Century American Literature, in particular the works of Mark Twain.
It was during those years in Commerce that he learned to play Texas-style fiddle music and consequently organized and directed ETSU's summercollegiate fiddlers' contests. His love of music, in particular Bob Wills'Western Swing, continued throughout his life.
Aside from rodeo, music and Mark Twain, Richard felt strongly about conservation efforts. Most important to him was keeping/maintaining waterfowl habitats viable, and he soon learned that Ducks Unlimited was the organization to make that possible. He volunteered his services to DU for more than 35 years, working as the dinner chairman for numerous events,
serving in both the district and state capacities and mentoring youth. He never asked others to do what he was not willing to do himself and continued to sponsor as a life member in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
He organized the Kilgore College Chapter of DU and also sponsored and worked with the Kilgore High School DU Chapter. He was most proud of these young people in their efforts to raise funds for conservation. In fact, the KHS Chapter was the top fundraiser in Texas for three years in a row and within the top 10 nationally for those same three years.
Before retiring from KC, he earned numerous awards. The most prestigious was his nomination as Piper Professor in 2010. That same year, he received the Beeson Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Another of his passions was watching "The Andy Griffith Show," especially the black-and-white episodes. He was a member of the Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club, faithfully read “The Bullet" newsletter and often greeted friends with "Gomer says Hey!"
He loved his fur babies and did his best to do what he could for helping make sure that abandoned animals could find loving homes. His home was seldom without those extra paws scurrying about. Much like his favoriteauthor Mark Twain, Richard often quipped that animals are some of the best teachers and we humans need to learn from them.
Preceding him in death are his parents; a sister, Ann Frances Simmons Abbett; and his aunt, Ann Frances Evans Woosley.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 47 years, Sarah Jane Herrin Harrison of Kilgore; daughter, Dr. Emily Kate Harrison (Laura Ann Samuelson) of Boulder-Longmont, Colorado; son, James Richard Harrison of Dallas; sisters, Julia Beth Harrison Bolling of Houston and Jeannette Simmons Waterman (Bill) of Walpole, Massachusetts; his nieces, Linda Jo Abbett of Garland, Julia Simmons Abbett Coats of Garland, Dr. Melanie Elizabeth Bolling Schmidt (Robert) of Richmond, Virginia; and his nephews, Mark Harrison Davis (Mindy) of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Harrison Fenner Bolling (Whitney) of Houston.
He is also survived by beloved pets: his dogs, Ginnie and Cammie and his cats, Stanley, Rallo and Laurel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations may be made to the Cross Roads United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1272, Kilgore, TX 75663; Pets Fur People, P.O. Box 6151, Tyler, TX 75711; and The Cat's Meow Rescue in Longview/Kilgore, P.O. Box 6722, Longview, TX 75608.