Miguel DeWayne Harris

(Miguel) was born in Chicago Heights, IL at St James Hospital to Barry James McCary and Louise Marie Harris on Sunday, May 2, 1976. As a child, Miguel (aka Meaty), was a very sickly. I always had to pay close attention to his special health needs concerning his kidneys and spent a lot of times in and out of the hospital. He has always been a good and very inquisitive child, always wanted to know how things worked. I believe he took apart almost every toy he ever had just to see if he could put it back together. He was a straight A student at Lincoln Elementary and Guion Creek Middle School. In the 5th grade he started playing the trumpet and learned his first jazz piece, “Mo’ Better Blues”, just to play it for his mom! He went on to Pike High School for very short while before transferring to Arlington “Golden Knights”, High School. Since Miguel was a very high honor student, he was immediately placed on the Magnet Program for exceptional students. By his junior year, he was advance enough to go to Purdue University, but mom thought at his young age, he should stay close to home. Miguel also participated on many school teams and in numerous activities alone with his two best friends, Christoffer (Chris) Banks, and Michael (Mike) Pedraza. During his H.S. years, he was on the Football Team, Tennis Team, he was on the Math & Science Team, Played the Big Bass in Orchestra and participated as a contestant for a couple of years on the Brain Game TV Show. He was the photographer for the school year book and in the Golden Knights Marching band, where they won many “Circle City Classic” Band Competitions. One of the best things Miguel, Chris and Mike did together is faithfully attend Sunday School and Church services and submitted their lives to the Lord, at Circle City Church of Christ. In 1994 Miguel graduated as one of the top honor students of his class with a Scholarship to Wabash Collage.

Because Miguel was diagnosed with a rare chronic kidney virus/disease at the age of 18, he only attended college one year at Wabash and transferred to ITT Technical School to be close to home. He was selected to work at Motorola in Rockford, IL before completing Technical School. Upon graduation, he earned a Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology and already had a start date for his new job! While there, he met another best friend, Jeffery (Jeff) Skonecki, who volunteered and was a perfect match to be a kidney donor for Miguel. Unfortunately, Jeff had some medical issues, that did not allow him to be a donor. A few years later the Motorola’s Rockford plant shutdown and Miguel moved to the Motorola in Lanham, Maryland to take a supervisor position repairing/upgrading 2-way radios for the US White House Security in the (Federal Government Division). After working a year, his kidney disease got worst, so he took an extended leave of absence to go home and get on the Kidney Donor Transplant list. After running dialysis for 11 years, he finally got a matching kidney. Miguel was free to do anything he wanted to do especially travel, which he loved, as long as he took his meds! During that time, he did a lot of traveling while working as a computer consultant for Unisys, Dell, Beckman Coulter and several other computer upgrade and repair companies. He worked at setting up complete systems for many Corporations, Super stores, and Banks. He even started his own side business for computer repair called, Sirrah Enterprises. (Sirrah, is his last name (Harris) spelled backwards).

Miguel wanted to get married and start a family. Although he was engaged to (Candice Vacarro, from Rockford, IL) they never married, as she proceeded him in death 10 years ago. He also loved little children, and volunteered every year to play games all night long at Children’s Network Fundraisers for sick kids since got his 1st kidney. He said since he was a sick kid, he wanted help other sick kids!

Miguel started having some heart issues which lead him to a 5-way bi-pass surgery on his heart. This didn’t slow him down at all and he went on living his life to the fullest!!! Miguel, was not only smart, but a person that would make you laugh about anything. To look at Miguel you would not have known he was a very sick person. He would not allow his illness to stop him from enjoying life! His 1st transplanted kidney lasted for 9 ½ years and Miguel end up going back on dialysis for another 5 years. Since he couldn’t work very much, he decided to give up computer work and returned to his passion for cooking naming himself “Chef Meaty”!!!

He graduated from Secord Helpings and Ivy Tech School for Culinary Arts becoming a Baker and Chef. Since his illness limited him from working full-time, he landed a Kitchen Asst Manager job at “Free Spirit”, which allowed him to create and enhance many of their recipes, all while working around his dialysis schedule. You’ve probably tasted some of his great food! Yum!!!

In January of 2022, Miguel got a call that said he got another kidney. He got the transplant and stayed in the hospital for 9 months trying to get the new kidney to work, but it never did, which caused Miguel to have to go back on dialysis for a 3rd time. Do you know he had 4 kidneys in his body at one time! They just add on new kidneys to your old kidneys. Things were not looking good for Miguel, he contracted Covid-19, lost a lot of weight and lost all his hair, but to my surprise he made it through it all and he looked like his normal self again, nobody but GOD!!! In 2023 Miguel’s heart start given him trouble again, even thou he was tired of being sick, he kept pressing on and often said, he didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. He spent a lot of time back and forth in the hospital dealing with his heart issues.

Miguel loved to BBQ, and was an Official BBQ Judge for events throughout the US. He was even in the process of starting his own business, called “Meaty’s BBQ Sandwiches” in which he created a special BBQ sauce to go with it! His long-term goal was to ultimately open his own full-service restaurant. Hopefully, as a family we can continue his dream.

Miguel departed this life on Monday, July 31, 2023 at 11:54am. Gone too soon, but never forgotten!

Miguel leaves behind… Fiancée: Candice Vacarro, Grandfather: Antonio J. DaLuz, Grandparents: Veller and Martha McCary, Aunt: Connie McCary Donovan, all have proceeded him in death.

He also leaves behind his loving heartbroken Mother: Ms. Louise M. Harris and Father: Mr. Barry J. McCary (Wife: Sandra McCary). His Calico Cat: Harley, Grandma: Delores A. Freeman-Daluz, Twin Sisters: LaSonya Burnett and LaTonya Burnett Chaney. Other Sisters: Kathy Burrell and DaWonda McCary Jenkins. Brothers: Barry James Burrell and Antoine McCary. Aunts: Denise Freeman, Minnie McCary and Patricia Vinson (Hubby: Michael Vinson). Uncles: Donnell Freeman (Wife: Sonya Freeman), David Gills and family, Clarence Lackie aka Jr. 1st Cousins: Alvin Gamble II aka AG, Angel Gamble, Donnell T. Freeman aka Lil’ Donnell, Pearl Freeman, Donjanae Freeman aka Doja, Dominque Ford (Hubby, Jordon), Darius Freeman and Savannah Freeman. 2nd Cousins: Ta’Morris Simmons aka Moe (who’s like a son to Miguel.), Ta’Marra Smith, Dionjanae Rogers and De’Vonte Payton. Special Best Friend: Christoffer Banks aka Chris (like a brother to Miguel), Wife: Rosario and 2 God children: Xavier Banks and Selena Banks. Best Friend: Michael Pedraza aka Mike (Wife: Becky Pedraza and 3 children), Best Friend: Jeffery Skonecki aka Jeff (Wife: Liz and 2 children) Good Friends: Anita Brown, Jarred and Kim Braun and girls, Brad and Eileen Spelman and family, and a host of other family members and friends who will miss him dearly.