Harvey Lee Harrison, Jr.

As my big brother, Harvey Harrison (Lee) towered as an equal match for the tallest of trees, fully- loaded with an equivalent level of kindness in his big heart. A lifelong Christian, Lee’s belief system included doing no harm to any living being, always acting in an altruistic manner and having the desire to bring about the greatest good in others. He lived by these convictions without fail, smothering others with fairness, kindness and an outpouring of love that he himself desired.

From an early age anyone could see the goodness in Lee and I grew up following this Big Brother everywhere. That is, up until he became a teen. The day he brought home his first girlfriend Angie, or I should say he brought her from a room within our home (she was besties with my older sister Lynn & spent loads of time at our home, greatly adored by our entire family, especially Lee) was the day I learned my brother could say my less-than-favorite word at the time; no. I also learned there were times that a baby sis just wasn’t wanted nearby.

Lee was the kindest person known to me. He was kind to a fault. He was equally honest and his moral ground was the only ground known to him, there were no other options, not ever. In his kindness, he would give until he had none. There was no option where a person had none and he had some because he was certain to make that person have some while he had none.

My brother sought Love and Acceptance with nearly every interaction and with nearly every person he came across. He didn’t expect much from a person and he had no desire other than to be loved and to share in a person’s life. He wanted this more than anything else and nothing gave him more pleasure than spending time with someone, even just the mere presence of a good person brought Lee joy.

As Lee would often tell me; “Rhonda, it’s better to trust in a person and get burned than to not trust and lose out on sharing in that moment”. One of his favorite quotes was from Abraham Lincoln; the person when rightly and fully trusted will return that trust.
Lee spent a large portion of his life in the Floral Wholesale business. He began at Greenleaf then switched to JW Perry’s following the floods of July 1993. Even though there were frustrations, as is the case with nearly all careers, Lee enjoyed this work and was very good at it, even sculpting all the gorgeous floral arrangements and bouquets for my wedding in the year 2000.

Lee had been ill these recent years and passed quietly in his sleep midday July 14th. He is survived by his sisters Lynn and Rhonda and her husband Sean and their four children; Nancy, Tiffany, Sean and Nathaniel, Lynn and her children; Mark & Alicia and by his mother Alicia Harrison as well as his lifelong Best Friends Paul Lemon and Kevin Decker.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23

“The cross reminds us that there is no true love without suffering, there is no gift of life without pain.” Pope Benedict XVI

Print