Bryan Bruce Harris

Longtime Alaskan resident, Bryan Bruce Harris, died on April 12, 2022 at 55 years of age.

Bryan was born in Pullman, Washington to Bruce and Margaret Harris (Griffen) on August 24, 1966. He was raised in Brier, Washington with his four siblings. Growing up Bryan was part of both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts with his brother and father. The Scouts did slot car races, backpacking, and hiking trips and adventures. Bryan earned money by delivering the newspaper and would find treasures and animals to bring home as pets. Once such pet was “Lady” his German Shepherd. When she got out, she would chase cars down Brier Road and jump into the back of trucks passing by.

Bryan enjoyed fishing and tying his own flies. He would often go to the Edmonds fishing dock in the early dark hours of the morning for the best chances of catching fish while the day was still quiet. He raised fish in the large aquarium in his bedroom to sell to pet stores until he accidentally left a hose on and flooded his bedroom floor. Bryan had an affinity for art and made paintings, ceramics, and other 3D multimedia creations. He liked hard rock music in high school, often “sharing” his music loudly through the bedroom wall with his sisters. Later in life he would record his own acoustic guitar music to a CD and collected special guitars.

Bryan attended culinary arts classes through the Sno-Isle program for high school students. He attended both Mountlake Terrace High School and Dayton High School. For a short time, he worked in kitchens until he joined the Air Force. He was discharged due to his propensity to sleep walk. He went on to do Wildfire Firefighting getting caught up in a particularly dangerous situation where a tree came down on him and sent him to the hospital. It appeared that he grew a few inches taller after that. Bryan made his way down to Palestine, Texas where he was working in construction when he met future wife of 33 years, Lydia. They both describe meeting each other and knowing that the other was the one for them. Their love was a true love.

Bryan met Lydia when he was 19 and she was 26. Lydia had a daughter, Kristy, from a previous marriage and the three of them became a family when Bryan and Lydia married on March 20, 1989. Bryan, Lydia and Kristy moved to Tacoma, Washington and lived in an area that was going through major redevelopment to become the Tacoma University of Washington campus. Bryan and Lydia made the decision to fulfill a dream that Bryan had. Bryan loved the natural beauty and adventure of Alaska – the eagles, bears, salmon, mountains, and water – and it was his dream to live there. They packed up their belongings and boarded the Alaska ferry and moved to Alaska.

Bryan used his fishing knowledge and skills to catch fish (in Alaska it’s catching not fishing). They primarily ate fish along with other staples that they would store up to be able to stay the winter in their place. He shared videos of bears walking around their property and coming up to the back sliding glass doors of their place. During their life together Bryan and Lydia had cats, dogs, snakes, spiders, birds, and lizards for pets. They raised Jack Russell Terriers in their trailer. Later they had a Pomeranian named Ursa that kept him company in his final years.

Bryan often reached out regularly to friends and family to talk or send a note on special days. He enjoyed writing, art, and music. He also connected with people from all over the world on social media

and through online gaming. He kept a YouTube account of his adventures, art, and the things he loved under vfirehorse.

He was preceded in death by his mother Margaret Harris. He leaves behind his wife Lydia Harris and her daughter Kristy Jackson; Kristy’s four sons Connor, Duncan, Ethan, and Mason; and grandson Forrest. His father Bruce Harris; sister Kricket Kaye, brother Tod and wife Erin Harris and their sons Ty and Gil Harris; sister Heather and husband Rodger Griffin and their two children Toby and Gina Griffin; sister Melody Harris; uncle Bill Griffen; aunt Bette Huwe and husband Darrel; aunt Patty White and husband Everett; cousins Lisa Griffen, Richard White, Shannon White, Shawn White, Tricia Base, Chris Huwe, Stacie Hahn, and their spouses and children.

Per Bryan’s wishes Lydia spread his ashes in Alaska before she moved back to Washington State to be near her daughter, grandsons, and great grandson.