Earl Allen Harris

Earl Harris was born on August 28, 1940, in Corpus Christi, TX.  Throughout his life he lived in Commerce, Dallas, Mesquite, Garland, Scurry, Emory, and Kaufman, Texas.  Earl died after a brief illness on December 11, 2025.  Preceding him in death were his mother, Irene Gunter Hastings, father, Fred Stucky Harris, brother, Loarn Edward Harris, son, Kevin Allen Harris, granddaughter, Kyanna Kathleen Chris Dees, and brother-in-law Kenneth Bruce Parmelee.

Earl began his 37-year career as a telephone switch installer with Western Electric in 1960. The job required long days on the road, but he always made it home to coach the Firecrackers and Rangers, winning Soccer teams for his daughter Holly and son, Kevin.  Earl met his wife, Beverly Parmelee Martin, through work related functions; they married on February 15, 1995.  Retirement soon followed and Earl became a hospice volunteer for the Visiting Nurse Association in Kaufman, an avid square dancer and a full-time western pleasure man. This passion included trail rides in South Texas, hiring on as an out-rider with his stepson, Phillip Martin, for "The Great American Cattle Drive of 1995", and, hauling a trailer full of quarter horses to the Bitter Root Mountains of Wyoming for a true cowboy adventure.  He remained a loyal volunteer with the Kaufman County 4-H Horse Show, previously in Abilene, now held at Bryan/College Sation, was always the highlight of each year.

Earl loved a good glass of whisky, a joke told well, and friends around the cowboy camp.  Sometimes politically incorrect, a little bit irreverent, but always generous, kind, compassionate and sentimental.  A Hallmark commercial or the Clydesdale horses at Christmas have been known to bring a tear or two.  He made us laugh, he loved us well, he will be missed.

Left to honor his memory are his wife, Beverly, daughter, Holly Harris Dees, (Timothy Louis Flores); stepdaughter Sara Reddoch and husband Jarred, stepson Phillip Martin and wife Nina, sisters-in-law, Martha Elaine Harris, Barbara Parmelee Snyder and Dianne Dudek Parmelee.  Brothers-in-law; Louis Parmelee and wife Glenda, David Parmelee and wife Vicki, Dennis Parmelee and wife Mary, Phillip Parmelee and wife Deborah. Niece, Wendy Bohnsack and husband Doug, Grandchildren Lane Dees, Suzanna Dees, Alina Scarlett, Ava Reddoch, Eddie Reddoch, Wren Ellie Martin, and Fiona Lily Martin.  Also, his "State Show Wife", Pat Carter, his "Husband-in-law", Stephen Martin, and, the numerous "grands and greats", "blended and extended" and "forever friends" will miss him dearly.