Oscar Lee Harrison, 79, of Dallas, Tx passed from this life into eternal life on Friday, September 13, 2019. Oscar was born on June 4, 1940 in Quincy, Florida, the son of Timothy & Arluster Harrision. He was raised in Sanford & graduated from Crooms Academy, class of 1958 known as “The Marching 100."
He was a great musician who began singing & writing songs in the late 1950’s. His all-time favorite song that he personally wrote, “I Need Love” was produced. He also played the guitar & piano, and performed at various venues in the states and overseas. He was part of a musical group in high school called the “Campus Kings”. Oscar had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with Johnnie Wilder Jr., the lead singer of the popular group Heatwave. Oscar and Johnnie Wilder Jr. served together in Vietnam together. He also met Michael Jackson & The Jackson Five during their European tour in Germany.
Oscar was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1962 and married his high school sweetheart Erma Jean Bailey, to whom he was married for 20 years and to this union they had two children, Oscar II & Nicole. During his service in the army, he was stationed in various countries throughout Europe & Asia & bravely fought in the Vietnam War. His positions & duties included Unit Supply Supervisor/Logistics & Accounting Specialist. He was an expert Marksman, received several commendations & was a 4th degree Black Belt. He retired with honors in 1992, returned to Florida & continued working in the private sector. He truly relished the friends he made over the years and everyone knew him to have such a kind heart. He loved music, good food and spending time with family and friends. He was a great cook who made favorite dishes like Perlo Rice, Big Lima Beans & Rice, Pork Chops and Shrimp Tuna Noodle Casserole.
In 2010 Oscar relocated to Dallas to be closer to & have a good support system with his daughter Nicole, who devoted herself to taking care of her father & ensuring he had the best of care & a loving environment to thrive in. Since moving to Dallas, he always said that he’s never heard more sermons and listened to more Christian music until he moved in with his daughter and son-n-law. He made a confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, joined the Antioch Church & was in regular attendance until his failing health. A routine of his was listening to Christian music in the mornings in which he took delight.
He enjoyed Nicole’s tasty cooking, Ricky’s Bar-b-que, fishing trips to Joe Pool Lake & watching NBA games; his favorite team was the Orlando Magic. Oscar made many friends in the Dallas area, and neighbors came to know him as “Mr. Oscar”. Attending social events, listening to music & giving cooking advice to the grandkids was a joy for him. Always a quiet spirit with a natural charm and a big heart for giving is how family and friends knew him. You could always catch a hand wave, salute & smile from him. He was extremely proud to see his children and grandchildren succeed in their endeavors in life. Oscar’s faith was important to him & his favorite Bible verse was John 3:16.
Oscar is preceded in death by his father Timothy Harrison, mother Arluster Harrison, and sister Gloria Jean Neal. He leaves to cherish his memories: son Oscar L. Harrison II of Fremont, Ca; daughter Nicole Newman(Ricky)of Dallas, grandchildren Ryan, Dominique & Angelique Newman of Dallas; Michael Temple, Kylee & Peyton Harrison of Houston; special friend Clarence McKinney of Somerdale, NJ, nieces, nephew, cousins and many other relatives & close friends.
The family would like to extend a very special thank you to the caregivers at Touch of Love Residential Care Home and to all other caregivers for their services provided for our father throughout the years.
A visitation for Mr. Harrison will be held Tuesday, September 17, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home, 2951 S. Belt Line Road, Grand Prairie, TX 75052. A funeral service will occur Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 9:30 AM at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home. A committal service will take place on Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 11:15 AM at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, TX 75211. A reception will be held at Bean Massey Burge following the committal service.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.beanmasseyburge.com for the Harrison family.
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