Vernon Claude Harris Jr.

Born on July 30, 1934, to parents Vernon Claude Harris Sr. and Willie Mae (Colle) Harris. Vernon always had a passion for his family, his faith, his work, and and his friends. His lifelong love of the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, raising cattle, and cultivating roses, was immediately evident to all who met him, but even more clear was his love of his wife, his children, his grandchildren and the church he and his wife Bertha joined in 1965, First Baptist Church of Austin, where he served for two decades as a deacon, served on the stewardship committee, and dedicated Wednesday evenings for nearly a decade to teaching Royal Ambassadors, a faith building and community service class for boys in the church.

After graduating from Yoakum High School in 1951, Vernon attended the University of Texas, earning a degree in Structural Engineering after first serving in the United States Army and being stationed in Germany, where he was assigned a role identifying enemy aircraft while working behind enemy lines. He married the love of his life, Bertha Marie Ward, on June 10, 1956, who accompanied him to Germany during his deployment. Upon completion of his active duty in November 1958, he returned to Austin to complete his degree and serve in the Army Reserve until December 1962.

Vernon took an engineering position with the Bridge Division of the State of Texas after graduation from UT, where he worked for 30 years designing bridges throughout the state of Texas. Among his proudest professional achievements was having a key role on the team that designed the Percy V. Pennybacker Bridge spanning Lake Austin on Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360). At the time it opened to traffic on December 3, 1982, it was only the second bridge of its kind in the world. The bridge was awarded first place in the 1984 Federal Highway Administration's Excellence in Highway Design competition, and in 1992 was selected as the most innovative example of Austin architecture by the Austin members of the Consulting Engineers Council of Texas.

Vernon and Bertha had two beautiful daughters together, Cheryl and Holly Harris, and moved from Austin in the mid 1970s to the home and ranch that he helped design and build in Elgin, TX. It was at this ranch, and a nearby second family property in Yoakum, where he began to raise Red Brangus cattle, establishing the Harris Cattle Company and serving for two years as President of the American Red Brangus Association. Vernon also developed a passion for roses, particularly those with heritage in Texas. He won numerous awards for his roses, and was active for many years in rose societies in Austin and Bastrop, serving as president of Bastrop County Rose Society for two years.

Vernon is preceded in death by his father, Vernon Claude Harris Sr., mother Willie Mae (Colle) Harris, sister Beverly Jean (Waddell) Owens and son-in-law John Sharp. He is survived by his wife Bertha Marie (Ward) Harris, with whom he shared their 65th wedding anniversary in 2021, daughters Cheryl (Harris) Sharp and Holly (Harris) Phillip (husband Michael), grandchildren Danielle Sharp, Jared Sharp, Nicole (Phillip) Conselman (husband Charley), Larissa Phillip and Kristen Phillip, and nephews Ronnie Waddell (wife Pam) and Gary Waddell.

A visitation, coordinated by Cook-Walden Funeral Home, will be held at First Baptist Church of Austin at (901 Trinity St - masks required, please) 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 19, followed by a memorial service at 2:00 PM and a military burial at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery immediately afterwards.

Donations in memory and gratitude for the life of Vernon Harris may be made to the Children's Ministry at First Baptist Church of Austin.