A loved son, the best brother, a protective friend, the ultimate jock and nerd, the dedicated professional, and the most fun and loving father Christopher Hoyt Harris, 47, originally of Grand Prairie, TX, died on March 5, 2024
He was born in Arlington, TX in 1976 to Carolyn “Sue” Rives and Olton “Chuck” Hoyt Harris, Jr. As a toddler and young child, Chris was shy, but once he realized his strength & size, and gained confidence through karate, he became a powerhouse in athletics. He excelled academically as well, even if he was known to fall asleep in class on occasion. He attended Milam and Zavala Elementary, Jackson Middle School and South Grand Prairie High School, graduating in 1995. He received a full athletic scholarship to University of Texas, El Paso where he played football for 2 years before ultimating completing his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1999 from Southern Methodist University. Immediately following college, Chris began building a career in IT for the logistics industry starting with the company UTI based in Dallas. UTI then offered an opportunity for a move to Los Angeles for nearly a decade. A subsequent change in jobs then took him to Portland, OR, where he resided until 2021, at which time he moved to Waxahachie, TX. While in Dallas, Chris met his former spouse Scarlett McAlister, of whom he was married 23 years and together they have 3 spectacular children - Skylar Suzanne (12, born in LA), Raleigh Hoyt (11, born in Portland) and Scout Audrey (7, also born in Portland).
While football dominated his early life - middle school through college - it is CrossFit that played a major role for him as an adult, especially in Los Angeles where he served as a coach at Crossfit Southbay. Many of you probably can name or visualize several Crossfit-like t-shirts that Chris wore on a solid rotation - Eat the Week, Donut-Killa and anything that said “Rogue.” In the last few years, Chris became an aficionado of pickleball as well.
But Chris wasn’t just a jock - he was also a solid nerd. He loved all things Star Wars, anything lego, in-depth audible history books, academic study of religion, and all the latest electronic equipment and toys he could get his hands on or share with the kids.
All of these hobbies paled in comparison, though, to his love for being a dad. Chris and the kids loved watching every Star Wars-related show together as well as Tom & Jerry and Scooby Doo. Their home was always filled with hands-on activities and equipment from legos to large magnetic tiles. Chris and Skylar shared a love of roller coasters, while Raleigh and Scout participated with him in Scouts, of which he was a den leader last year. They were frequent visitors of Hawaiian Falls water park and Rollerworld in Grand Prairie, of which Chris was also a frequent visitor in his own childhood days. Chris’ eyes were always the most twinkly when he talked about his kids.
Chris will be remembered as a big guy with an even bigger heart. His piercing eyes, his dry wit, his straight talk, his dad jokes and his warm hugs will be missed every day by his children, family and friends.
Chris was preceded in death by his father Chuck and mother Sue, and is survived by his amazing children Skylar, Raleigh and Scout, as well as his sister Jennifer Harris, sister LeaEllen Harris and brother Leslie Harris, as well as many other aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Family and friends may share condolences and memories at www.grandprairiefh.com
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