John Harris, Jr.

John Harris, Jr., 88, of Wake Forest, passed away Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Brookdale Wake Forest. He was born in Clay County, Kentucky to the late John Harris, Sr. and Susie Lawson Harris. Mr. Harris retired from Wonder Bread in 1995 where he was a truck driver for almost 45 years. He loved his family and especially loved his grandchildren. He will be greatly missed.

John grew up in hard times during the depression and lived in a time when hard work meant working with your hands sun up to sun down. His father John started as a sharecropper saving enough money to buy a farm when John was a young boy. By time John was 10 he was helping his father bring in and dry tobacco. He left school when he was 16 to work on the railroad in the last year of WWII. In 1948 he followed his two brothers Bill (a WWI Bronze Star hero) and Charlie to Indiana to drive a truck. He was in The US Army 4thinfantry 4, recon company from 1951 through 1958 and active and reserve duty. He married his wife Marilyn in 1956. His dream was to become and architect but going back to school with long hours and a new family made his dream challenging. Instead, he built and remodeled several homes including his parents’ home, giving them indoor plumbing, heating and did it all by hand by himself. He worked hard and gave his all in everything he did. He gave his family a strong start and were the most important part of his life.

Funeral services were held at 2 o’clock, Wednesday afternoon, December 27, 2017 at Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home. Burial followed in the Wake Forest Town Cemetery.

Mr. Harris is survived by his children, Julie Rasmussen & husband Boyd of Madison, Wisconsin, John David Harris of Crown Point, Indiana, Sandra Millsap of Long Beach, Washington and Gary Harris & wife Amanda of Raleigh, North Carolina; grandchildren, Lauren, Katheryn, Matthew, Brittany, Amanda, Richards, Nick and Steve Meyer, Chase, Tesse and Phoebe Millsap, Lauren, Matthew, Kathryn and John William Harris; great grandchildren Hailey, Alex, Cheryllynn, sisters, Lorraine LaPan of Mississippi and Ruth Bellaw of Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his brothers, William, Charlie, and Luther Harris; sisters, Helen Rose and Mae Inman.

A service of Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC 27587. (919-556-7400). www.cswfuneralhome.com

 Service Information