Paul Eugene Harrison

Paul Eugene Harrison passed away peacefully Wednesday evening, March 25, 2020 following complications related to a severe stroke that occurred February 9, 2020.

Paul Harrison was born April 29, 1932 in Livingston, Texas. He was the second of three children of Vernon and Gracie Harrison. Paul grew up on a backwoods farm in Bering Community in the 'Big Thicket' of Polk County, Texas during the Great Depression. The children walked over a mile to catch a school bus for the five-mile ride to Moscow Elementary School and later rode the bus another five miles to Corrigan High School. In addition to much hunting, field work and caring for various animals, there were plenty of year-round chores such as cutting firewood for cooking and heating the small frame house, carrying water from the mineral spring on their property, tending to crops, and milking cows, from which Paul developed a strict personal work discipline that he retained for the rest of his life. He also sawed logs to help with his family’s struggling timber business.
Following completion of high school, Paul went to work for General Telephone & Telegraph (GTE) installing telephone high-wires in south Texas, primarily along the Texas-Mexico border, while residing in the McAllen, Texas area.
After three years of working, Paul had saved enough money to enroll and attend Texas A&M College ('TAMC' later changed to University) in College Station, Texas where he studied and obtained a Petroleum Engineering degree in 1957. To pay for his continuing education in college, Paul also worked during the summers as an oil field roustabout and roughneck in the oil fields of Texas. During his time in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) of Texas A&M, Paul was awarded the college Outstanding Company Commander in 1956. He later went on to serve as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve for 8 years, which ended upon receiving an honorable discharge.
After graduation from Aggieland, Paul went to work in Monahans, Texas as a junior engineer for Mobil Oil Company, now ExxonMobil. In his early years as a petroleum engineer, he also worked in Hobbs, New Mexico, and back in the south Texas region. Thereafter, he moved to Dallas where he met and dated Patricia Ann Bean (both worked in downtown Dallas) who worked for the Belgian-owned Sabena Airlines. They fell in love and were married on December 21, 1962. One particularly unforgettable sunny day, being November 22, 1963, they had a work lunch together, and watched and waved to President John F. Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally Jr., as they rode by them on a downtown street in Dallas just a minute or so before the infamous assassination occurred. Paul and Pat were accomplished dancers, and spent many evenings doing so.

Paul advanced through a series of positions with Mobil Oil including assignments in Dallas (twice), Midland, Corpus Christi, Houston (twice), New York City, and London, England, where he was Executive Vice President of Mobil, United Kingdom, for their North Sea Operations for approximately 5 years.
The years the family lived in London, while their children Foster and Paula were attending The American School in London, were spent traveling throughout western Europe (as during the 1980's communist-dominated eastern Europe was still walled off, literally and figuratively). The family enjoyed the many unique historical events, buildings and landscapes. This was an interesting, enjoyable and beautiful time for all.
Throughout his life, Paul spent many days helping and coaching his children learn to play sports such as soccer, at which Paula was a Texas state all-star player in her youth, plus baseball, football, basketball and snow skiing. Many great memories were also made on holiday weekends when Paul and Foster T. Bean (maternal grandfather) took Foster hunting throughout Texas for all types of game, which instilled a love of nature, the outdoors and provided many traditional meals for family and friends over the years.
In 1987 Pat and Paul moved back to Dallas, Texas, where a few years later Paul completed his professional career with Mobil Oil, retiring after 33 years of service. Thereafter, he spent much of his time researching and writing the interesting family genealogical histories (with some entertaining factual stories included) of both the Harrison and Bean clans dating back to their European roots. He also enjoyed many of his retirement years with his wife and family, which had expanded when Paula had two children Jourdan Harrison and Nathaniel 'Nate' Rand. Vacations with the family were memorable in Vermont, and Rocky Mountain ranges (skiing in winters and hiking in the summers), and beach house rentals on Galveston Island.
Paul and Pat also had numerous good times with his older brother Melvin 'Mel' Harrison, and his wife, Mary Lou, and their adult children, Jeanine, Melanie and Robert, often visiting them at their country ranch near Burton, Texas. He also enjoyed going to Aggie football games and other sporting events, such as Aggie baseball, basketball, and watching Foster play in tennis tournaments in recent years. Paul, for many years, also attended Harrison family reunions in Livingston, Texas with his beloved relatives.
He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Patricia Ann Harrison of Dallas; son Foster Trammell Harrison of Houston; daughter Paula Ann Rand of Dallas; and grandchildren Jourdan Harrison of Denton; and Nathaniel Rand of Dallas; Paul is also survived by many other loving extended family members.
Due to the current coronavirus issues, there will be a private family service streamed on the Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore Facebook page at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 31. Inquiries and condolences may be sent to FosterH9@gmail.com. Paul touched many lives during his 87 years and he will be greatly missed, until we all meet again up yonder…

Those who knew Paul are well aware of his strong belief in the value of education. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family would be appreciative of donations made to the "Aline Rothe, Melvin and Paul Harrison Scholarships." Donation checks should be made payable to the Texas A&M Foundation, and mailed to 401 George Bush Drive, College Station, Texas 77840-2811. Questions may be made to mbrooks@txamfoundation.com.

If preferred, in recognition of Paul's passion for finding a treatment for Lyme Disease, the family request that, in lieu of flowers, gifts be made in his name to www.TexasLymeAlliance.net. A memory plaque will be made in his honor at Stanford University's Medical Center.