John Paul Harris

John went to be with his Lord and Savior at 6:03 AM on Monday, March 27th, surrounded by the love of his life Liz, and his three children Marsha, Chris, and Amy.

John was born on August 16th, 1944, in Huntsville, Arkansas, to Harold and Tula Harris. He was a true mountain boy by birth (and grace), and enjoyed nothing more than spending time on the family farm alongside his siblings. In high school, John was involved in both FFA and football, excelling in both with his all-in passion for anything he pursued. He attended and graduated from Huntsville High School, graduating as a proud Eagle in the class of 1962. He then attended and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1966, obtaining his Bachelor’s in Business Management, and later his MBA from the University of Oklahoma in 1969, after relocating in order to work at Tinker AFB. John’s patriotism led him to work for Tinker as he was unable to join his friends in Vietnam due to medical restrictions. He would spend 35 years as a Manager in Procurement at TAFB, rising to 3rd ranked civilian until his retirement, serving his nation and peers with unmatched dedication and work ethic.

John met his future bride, Elizabeth Ann Sanders, on a chance meeting in December of 1968 while serving Sunday morning communion to the local nursing home residents, and while Elizabeth was visiting her Grandmother. Six weeks later, John would make the best decision of his life marrying his best friend, Elizabeth, on January 16th, 1969. Shortly after, they welcomed the first of their three children, Marsha, followed by a son Christopher Paul, and completing their family, youngest daughter Amy. John embodied the “Family Man” and took great pride in leading his family. John never missed an activity for his kids, cheering them on any chance he had. He took immense joy in seeing each of his kids accept Christ in their hearts, and a baptism might be the only time you would ever see him shed a tear.This love of faith and his Lord led he and Elizabeth to be one of the first 9 families to build and start the Lakeview Church of Christ in Bethel Acres, OK in 1979, where he served in many official and unofficial capacities until 2015 with great pride.

Possibly his greatest promotion in life was to “Papa”, ultimately to a total of 7 grandchildren – 4 boys and 3 girls. Retirement offered Papa an opportunity as a default daycare for nearly each of the grandchildren at one time or another, loving every minute of the time he got with each of them. There wasn’t anyone that talked with Papa long that didn’t hear about each of them and their accomplishments, whether it be sports, theatre, music, or academics. Like a thief in the night, Papa also loved the timeless game of stealing sweets and desserts from each of the kids – often times feigning innocence for fear of Nanny getting a hold of him. No sweets were safe with Papa around, and over time he found more creative alibis and hiding spots for his wrappers.

John is preceded in death by his parents Harold and Tula Harris, and his brother David Harris. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Elizabeth, of the home; 3 children, Marsha, husband Brian, and their children Allison and Grayson and fiance Jennie, of Dallas, TX; son Chris, wife Chasity, and their children Krislyn, Charlize, and Conrad of Edmond, OK; daughter Amy, husband Nathanael, and their children Aiden and Malachi of Bethany, OK; and his sister Brenda Ackerman, of Huntsville, AR; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by his late in life “fur-son” Winston, also of the home.

Come-and-go visitation will be held at Baggerly Funeral Home in Edmond, OK on Saturday, April 1, 2023 from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. with the family to greet friends from 4:00-6:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 2nd from Noon-4:00 p.m. Services will be held on Monday, April 3rd, at 11:00 AM, at Lakeview Church of Christ in Bethel Acres, OK with burial to follow to Dale Cemetery in Dale, OK.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.baggerley.com for the Harris family.