Beron Kent Harrison, age 89, died on January 18th, 2019 in High Point, NC after a brief illness. He was able to live independently, manage his own affairs and work diligently until the last few weeks of life.
He was born in High Point on June 9th, 1929 to the late Beatrice Cranford Harrison and Cecil Albert Harrison who lived on Homestead Avenue. He attended Oakview Methodist Church and Oakview School.
He often told stories about overcoming hardships during the Great Depression and he praised his community for bonding together sharing garden produce and job opportunities. A strong work ethic and a kind heart were the main characteristics of Kent Harrison. From a young age he began to work as a carpenter with his father and later formed his own partnership, Harrison and Dawkins, noted as the best homebuilders in the area from the 1950s to the 1990s. After retirement he never stopped working and renovated several homes including his own.
A highlight in life was having a farm in Stokes County where as a part-time farmer he could be close to the land while working hard to improve it. He also enjoyed constructing trails for his amazing motorcycles. An award-winning motorcyclist, he continued to ride until his early 80s.
From 1945-1999 he was married to Anna Bennett Harrison with whom he had three children. Memories of her were important sources of strength for him. The biggest heartbreak was the untimely death of his only son, Beron Lane Harrison who died at age 56 in 2009. Family meant everything to Kent Harrison. He credited his mother for the most important lessons in life, which were love, forgiveness and hard work.
Survivors include two daughters, Cherl Harrison and Donna Harrison Fincher, one sister, Evelyn Durst, one brother Don Harrison and one son-in-law, Rob Fincher. There are four grandchildren, Kenny Fincher, Myranda Wilcox Stewart, Richard Harrison, and Lane Harrison. Also there are five great-grandchildren, Ramy Stewart, Berkeley Stewart, Kendall Harrison, Aidan Harrison and Addison Harrison.
Donations can be made to your preferred charity. Helping someone who really needed assistance was one of Kent Harrison's favorite memories.
A visitation for Kent will be held Tuesday, January 22, 2019 from 11:00am to 12:00pm at Sechrest Funeral Service. A funeral service will occur Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at 12:00pm.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.SechrestFunerals.com for the Harrison family.
