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In memory of
John "Bob" Robert Harris
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Bob's obituary
Some time after his birth the Harris family moved from Prescott Arizona to Prosser Washington and then later to Arcata California. He grew up on the family dairy farm the eldest of five children. He loved music including singing, but especially enjoyed playing his trombone and baritone for his high school band. Bob was friendly, outgoing, and popular and was elected Senior Class President in Hogg school. He graduated second in his class and famously played a baritone solo for his high school class graduation ceremony. After graduation he served his Country in the Korean War serving as an aircraft mechanic aboard a Naval Air Craft Carrier as well as multiple Naval Bases throughout the United States and Japan. He volunteered as a member of the Naval Band and also served as Fire Marshall at the Treasure Island Naval Base. While serving four years in the Navy Bob also took on and completed several personal projects including restoring his mother’s piano (which literally became the family’s home centerpiece), in addition he restored a 1942 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 which he raced up and down the California Coast and never lost. He also restored several Volkswagen Beatles being known in Humboldt County as the “Volkswagen King” and was once photographed floating down the Mass River sitting atop his VW during flood season. He also even restored a 1930’s Caterpillar D6 Bulldozer which he found abandoned and overgrown in the woods. Upon resigning from the Navy Bob attended Humboldt State College (now University) and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music under the world renowned musician Dr Lee Barlow. He was offered a teaching position in the music department but declined to persue his love of building homes. He married another lover of music, Chloe Renee Blackburn, in the Mesa Arizona LDS Temple on December 19, 1955. Together they raised six children while living in Arcata, Blue Lake, and Eureka California, Salt Lake City Utah, and Evanston Wyoming. In each of these places they volunteered and served faithfully in the music programs of the towns, Wards, and Stakes.
After leaving the Navy he built swimming pools, and logged timber but settled on becoming a General Contractor building homes in California, Wyoming, and Utah. As always, his love of music was always his passion and he and his wife Renee both had the opportunity to volunteer and perform with the California Redwoods Chorale and sand up and down the West Coast and even toured Europe twice in the 1970’s sharing their talents and musical art which became one of the highlights of their lives. Above all, Bob (and Renee) were both faithful members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where he loved being a teacher and choir director for many years.
Following 53 years of marriage Renee passed away on November 13, 2008. After Renee’s passing he met and married Donna May Meyers in June 2009 and became a step-father to 12 adult children and many more grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, and 3 of his siblings Thomas Richard, Ila Faye (Ipsen), Bonnie Lou (Chatelaine). He is survived by his wife Donna, his sister Barbara Ann Whitney, and his six children: Robert Wayne, Jayne Renee’ (Oliver), Scott Lane, LaRayne Faye (McCabe), John Shane, and Sterling CoHane (yes they all rhyme); 31 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Bob’s smile brought happiness to any room he was in and he will truly be missed by many.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday January 30, 2021 at the 25th Ward Chapel located at 1154 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah. Viewing will be at 9:00am with the funeral at 10:00am, followed by interment at the Dayton Idaho Cemetary.
The Harris and Morey/Casto families would like to thank the staff of Colonial Oaks Care Center for their loving care and Holbrook Mortuary for their excellent services and assistance moving his body to Utah for his funeral and burial where the most of his family and friends are located.
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Created with love by
Scott Harris (Bob's son).
