Thomas Richard Harrison Sr.

Thomas Richard “Tom” Harrison was born in Ft. Worth, Texas on December 18, 1914, to Ell Sanders Harrison and Ettie Lee Pipes Harrison. He died in Houston, Texas April 1, 2014. He was married to Juanita Lucille Warren on December 25, 1940, at Riverside Baptist Church, Ft. Worth, Texas. TR enlisted in the U.S. Navy November 16, 1942, and was honorably discharged November 4, 1945. He served in US Naval Training Centers in San Diego, CA; Bainbridge, MD; and Great Lakes, IL. He served as Chief Specialist Instructor.

After being discharged from the Navy, TR enrolled at Baylor University and graduated in 1951. He was ordained as a minister at Riverside Baptist Church, Fort Worth, Texas on February 21, 1951. He later graduated from Southwestern Theological Seminary. TR had several church assignments during his career: He was working as Director of Christian Education and Music Director at First Baptist Church in Stamford Texas when he enlisted in the Navy.

He worked as educational director at Trinity Baptist Church in Ft Worth, then Riverside Baptist Church before moving to Levelland where he served as Assistant Pastor at the First Baptist Church.

TR and Lucille adopted Thomas Richard Harrison, Jr. (Richard) on June 22, 1954, while TR was serving as Pastor of Central Baptist Church, Blooming Grove, Texas. His last pastorate was at First Baptist Church of Overton, Texas, where he served from 1962 to 1977.

After retirement from the pastorate, TR worked in real estate in the Houston area.

He was preceded in death by his wife Lucille and their son Richard. TR had two brothers, Ray and Edwin, and two sisters, Mildred and Lillian, all of whom predeceased him. He is survived by his nephew, Ed Harrison, Jr., and by two nieces, Lyn Harrison and Leigh Ann Harrison Fort. He also leaves a host of friends at Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston.