I love you and miss you, but you live in my heart, now and forever.

Dad

B.J. your spirit continues to remain in my heart. My life is blessed to be your Aunt Becky.  Love always!

Thinking about you constantly these days..

Just thinking about you little brother.  Hope you are having a blast!


I was asked by Mr. and Mrs. Harrison to share what I said at the funeral.  I first read the newspaper eulogy, as requested, and then I gave a perhaps unconventional "English lesson," followed by scriptures I felt impressed would be meaningful to share.

First, the eulogy that was read:

Billy John Harrison JR., age 31, of Baytown TX., passed away Friday, August 9th, 2013.

Billy "BJ" graduated from Sterling High School in 2000 and went on to obtain a technical degree at Lee College in computer science. He worked for SoftLayer as a software technician for 3 years. Bill was an avid fisherman, enjoyed playing pool and music. He had a true passion and love for getting away and going for a drive.

Billy is preceded in death by his grandparents, Claire and Polk Harrison and Robert and Thelma Reynolds; his aunts Vivian Lawrence and Robbie Stombaugh.

He is survived by his parents, Billy SR. and Cynthia Harrison; his brothers, Robert Reynolds II and Chris Harrison and wife Amanda; nephews, Mathew Harrison, Ty Harrison and Landon Harrison; niece Abigail Harrison; aunts Ann Nelson and husband Dick and Becky Dukarm and husband Ed; special aunt Myric Lejune and numerous other family and friends.

Second, the “English Lesson.”

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, in the days and weeks ahead, you will hear many well-intentioned family and friends that speak of Billy as, ‘he was' this or ‘he was' that.  You may even find yourself from time to time making this same comment.  But though well-intentioned, you will know that they are probably using the word ‘was' incorrectly.  What they should be saying is, ‘is'.    

Was means that it has happened, it's in the past, it may not be currently true.  ‘Is' is the present, it is happening know, it is true now.   When someone speaks of Billy ‘was,' to be using the correct English word you might wish to say to yourself (or to them, if not too rude) “Instead of saying Billy was, you should have said Billy is.”  

Billy very much still exists today.  His body is left behind, but his spirit still is.  The same Billy you know and love is still; and I do not mean in some weird, strange, metaphysical sense, but in the true sense that he still has all of his characteristics and personality, etc.  

Truly, Billy is. 

Like all English Lessons, perhaps an example is best to illustrate the rule.  In the years I knew Billy as a neighbor across the street, Billy was always coming across to help with something or other.  Usually it was something we didn't want to do, but he would cheerfully offer to do it.  Sometimes it was to take out the garbage bins from the side of the house to the curb. Sometimes it was sweeping up grass clippings or sometimes it was cleaning the garage.  He would always offer to help. The reason why he did it was because Billy 'is' kind.  Billy 'is' nice.  Billy 'is' helpful.   These are all attributes of Billy that are still true today, because Billy 'is' and not just 'was'.

As a second example, I remember that Billy was always very respectful when he spoke to my mom.   He would say “Yes, Mrs. Jensen” or “No, Mrs. Jensen” or “Yes, Ma'am” or “No, Ma'am.”  And what it was that impressed me the most about these courteous sentences was that Billy said them with such respect and sincerity.  It is not common for a son to be as respectful in treating his mom, or any lady, as Billy.   These comments were an example to me.  And they show that Billy 'is' a perfect southern gentleman.  They illustrate that Billy 'is' respectful.  Billy 'is' kind.  

Last, I want to share some scriptures that I felt were particularly meaningful. 
 
The first is from Luke Chapter 20, verses 27, 37 and 38, where Jesus was asked about the resurrection by a group of Sadducees that did not believe in the resurrection.  Jesus explained that when Moses was shown the burning bush, the Lord called himself the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.   God would not have used those names if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead.   Jesus explained, “For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him.”

Next, John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”

Romans 6: 8-11 “ Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And in Revelations chapter 20 verses 12 and 13: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”  

The dead could not be judged if death were the end of existence. 

And last, in Revelations 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

I wish to close with my personal testimony and witness that I know God lives.  God 'is' and not just 'was'.   I know Jesus Christ 'is' and not 'was'.  And I also know that Billy 'is' and not 'was'.  

I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Billy,
I can't begin to tell you how heavy my heart is right now. All I can do is to remember all the good times we have had, from the times drowning worms and what a natural born fisherman you were from the very first time. On the first cast you caught your first fish, beginners luck, I thought   but  was I ever wrong.
 
Going up Pikes Peak and Chris not caring for the heights and you being amazed at how far we could see. Summers spent on the beach in Pensacola and me and your mom constantly trying to keep you closer to the shore, you just never had any fear no matter what you were doing.

I miss the little things from hearing your snores when I walk past your room to the places we went like the flower shop where you would buy Mom flowers. 

What amazed me is the way you would sandbag others and then surprise them with you smarts when they least expected it.  Beyond all, the pride we had watching you grow into a man and spreading your wings.  A   man with a caring heart and always thinking of others before yourself.  You always had such a caring heart   and compassion for everyone. 

I love you so much and will miss  you smile and humor and just talking, so until the day comes when we are united again I will remember all of the good times we had and know that I love you and will always miss you.
Love,
Dad

I just wanted to say u where an awesom friend when we where in elementary and in high school. R.I.P. we will see u again one day...

Bill,
I'm assuming you're the billy I graduated with in 1968. I lost my son in 1992 and even if you're not, my message is the same. I lost my son in 1992 so I know what it feels like. You won't ever get over it but you will get passed it. It's just a matter of time and memories. All the best to you and all of your family.
ralph trout

 Many of us when we are born, come into this world healthy, and are celebrated by family and friends. It is what doctors call a normal birth. BJ's birth into this world was far from normal. It was not an ordinary beginning. It was an extraordinary beginning for an extraordinary man. He faced many medical complications from the beginning of his life, to which doctors stated he would not survive. He did survive and we were blessed to have him these 31 years. He faced a number of prejudices in life and judgmental attitudes by people. BJ faced these obstacles with a quiet humility and overcame them. He worked hard, but was never boastful about it. He was satisfied by the simple things in life and gave to others without asking for anything in return. BJ lived an extraordinary life and set an example for us to follow. Matthew 11:29 states “take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves.” BJ proved to us that a life lived with quiet humility can and will defeat the obstacles in our lives.One of the ways we mourn those we have lost is to celebrate the person they were. BJ touched many lives and the proof of that can be seen in the number of friends and family who have joined together to celebrate his life. Let us honor him by living extraordinary lives, just as he did.

My Little Brother Bj:

 Bj is a very loving, caring and special person and if you know him than you have had the opportunity to see that.

 Growing up with Bj was a roller coaster because one minute we would be arguing and fighting and the next we were best friends.  We are brothers.

 I have many great memories about my brother and I would like to share a couple of them.  I remember going to my Granny and Pop's boat store and we would ride around on the two wheel hand dollies that were suppose to be for moving boxes and things around.  We had a lot of fun on those things.  I also remember a trip we once took with our Dad to New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and many other states and being that we are from south Texas we were not use to seeing snow.  I remember seeing snow for the first time and Dad stopped the truck and Bj and I got out and played in it.  We had a snow ball fight and got to write our name in the snow.  That was a lot of fun.

 Once I helped Billy move into an apartment close to his work and he sure was proud of that place.  Though I didn't tell him at the time I sure was proud of him because my little brother was spreading his wings and flying.  
 As Billy grew to be the person he is today I look back and think about how much he has overcome and accomplished.  About how smart he is and how funny he is and it makes me think.  People say that our older brother Robert and I are hero's because of our line of work and it made me think of what a hero is.  A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.  Bj you are truly my hero.
 And to our new and old friends and family I leave you with this:
God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but he did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.  If God brings you it, he will bring you through it.

I love you Billy John Harrison Jr.  and I will see you again on the other side but until that day I will cherish the times we had together and think about you always.

I continue to think of the special memories that I have and pray that our Lord will help ease my pain.  Words can't express the hurt that I feel in my heart.  Prayers are with you all.  BJ, you are my angel.  

During BJ's service on August 8, 2013, I read a poem that I would like to explain because poems are not allowed on the Guest Book.  The title of the poem is “I Am Not Gone”. 

The poem is expressing the belief that BJ is not gone but that he is here beside all of us just not in the human form.  He is with us in our heart and will always be here. 

When we feel alone, we just need to look for him in our thoughts.  The memories that we have will help us stay strong.  When we feel like we are going to cry, look to the heavens and there we will see BJ smiling down from God's glorious heaven.  

Thank you, Lord for giving BJ to us for 31 years.  BJ, I know that you will welcome me when the Lord calls me home.

Bill and I want to thank you for being with us to celebrate Billy's life.  We treasure your friendship not only for the support you have shown our family but even more for the friendship and love that you gave to BJ.   It has blessed our hearts to know how many lives he touched and how much he was loved and respected by all who knew him.

Billy has always been a very special blessing to us and we are very proud of him.  He had an enormous heart and shared his love freely and loyaly with all who knew him. He was always quick and willing to help anyone who asked, many times without being asked.  He was very generous and put his friends and family's need ahead of his own. 
Billy faced many challenges his entire life.  He worked very hard to overcome these obstacles and succeeded beyond expectation both personally and professionally.  
We will never know why his time with us was so short but we are so thankful for the time we had with him and the opportunity to see him grow from childhood into the wonderful man he became.  He was truly an inspiration to us. As we move forward there are two things we know for certain - (1) Billy knew he was loved. and (2) Billy is with God and is in very good company. This knowledge gives us great comfort and peace. 

I could go on talking about him for hours but I don't need to.  As friends and family, you already know the person he was.  He was at a very good place in his life and was truly happy. I am sure he is with his heavenly father now and enjoying his new eternal life surrounded by love and free from the pain and limitations he lived with in this life.  He will always live in our hearts and in the many wonderful memories we carry with us.  We will always celebrate his life.

Although we only said hello and goodbye everyday you will be missed!

Billy 
 We shared plenty of laughs and good times during high school. What I knew  of you, you were caring, smart, funny,cool. And to the family May the Lord give you Peace and wisdom and the strength to carry on. your old neighbor from 5407 Gayla drive. 
        Mauro A. Garza (Baytown, Texas)

Billy will be missed by all who knew him our hearts and prayers are with his family .

My thoughts and Prayers are with you and your family in this time of sorrow.  BJ was a very gifted and special person.  RIP my friend.

Gone too soon but you will never be forgotten.

My heart goes out to the family.. It was always good times with billy in high school and college and I'll always keep those memories close. Always trying to Prank one another when it came to tech stuff.. I still pull some of your pranks today!

Ever since we got back in touch a few weeks back, Billy would message me just about every other night just to say, Hi! I started to get used to it and will very much miss that. From the brief times we spoke, I quickly discovered how truly gifted he was. Not just in mind, but in spirit as well. You will very missed my friend.

My prayers are with you.  Always know when it is too difficult to carry on, The footprints we see are the Lord carrying us until we can walk on our own again.  Thoughts and prayers for you

Billy was kind and was always willing to help other people. He will be missed.

BJ you were so quick to lend a helping hand. You will always be remembered! I send out lots of love to the family of BJ.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Billy was always wonderful and a gentleman. So sweet and loving. He had a way to make you smile through tears and believe that anything was possible. I'm so blessed to have had him in my life for any length of time at all. Praying that our God continues to give you the grace to get through this difficult time and that He uses Billy's life and death to bring other people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We don't know why He chose to call Billy home right now, but we know God is sovereign and He knows what is best.

"So sorry for your loss, My thought and prayers go out to the Family"

I knew Billy from Hostgator and SoftLayer. I'm sorry for your loss.

There were times I was impatient with Billy - not because of who he was, but due to the nature of our working relationship.

In spite of this, he was always friendly and had something nice to say.

It's said that the true measure of a life is how others measure themselves in comparison, and on the balance Billy was a better person to me than I was to him.

Rest well, buddy.

Bill Sr.,

Your friends & colleagues at D&R Saw & Tool, Wish you and your family THE PEACE that surpasses all understanding. Knowing that GOD in heaven
is watching over you.

Rick & Sheri, Belinda, Tony, Michele, Lisa & Billy

To family and Friends - I am also a part of the Convergys / Hostgator family - so family and friends let use this love for him to help us grieve and remember our friend!

billy was a good friend gone too soon and ill miss him

Sorry for your loss, I worked with Billy at HostGator during 2011. He was a great guy, wish we would've kept in contact after I left..

I am so sorry for your loss my thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

He was a great friend, I was proud to be in his corner and watch him grow in his IT career

I am so sorry to hear of your loss, Billy was a very special person, I worked with him at Convergy and have some very fond memories of him as well as he was always poking me on Facebook.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends and he will truly be missed.

I am so sorry for your loss.  Billy was a student of mine at Lee College and was always very kind.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

Sorry to learn of your loss, he was a sweet boy who grew to be a fine young man.  May God carry your family thru this.

I am so sorry to hear about this tragedy. All of our love and prayers are with you and your family. I know he is up in heaven looking down on you and loving you all.

We are so sorry this has happened. I didn't know Billy well, but from what I knew he was a fine young man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

OBITUARIO

Billy Harrison

1 septiembre, 1981 – 9 agosto, 2013

Earthman Baytown Funeral Home

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