Guy Newell Harrison's Obituary
Guy Newell Harrison, aged 77, was born in Longview, Texas to Guy F. and Margaret Harrison on December 14, 1946, where joined on life’s journey by his twin sister, Gay, they would begin the adventure in a LeTourneau concrete house. He died on August 4, 2024 in Longview in the loving care of his devoted, adored wife of 55 years, Lucinda.
Guy is survived by his wife Lucinda, son Parker Harrison and wife Sunshine; grandchildren Rainy and Tate, their spouses Dakotah and Megan and three great grandchildren, Ivy, Willow and McKinley Mae. He is also survived by one brother Kim, and his twin sister Gay and her husband Kenneth Kirkland, both of whom provided an unmeasurable amount of love throughout his life, and certainly during that last year of challenge.
He was predeceased by his parents, an infant son, Beau McKinley Harrison and son, Worth McKinley Harrison.
To say he adored his wife Lucinda would be an unfair and inaccurate understatement. He could not do without her and was fast to acknowledge same. They met on the last day of her freshman year at SMU and had their first date on September 2, 1966, the first day of class her sophomore year. From there and then, it was a destiny that they were joined at the hip and would spend the next “fifty years and more” together as one; a shared loving phrase, that each unknown to the other, had engraved inside the wedding bands they presented to each other.
A review of Guy’s life is a timeline of dedication to country, to community and to his profession. After graduating from SMU undergraduate school he served in the United States Army, proudly serving in the First Cavalry Division in Viet Nam. His involvement in community continued after the army when he served on the local YMCA Board of Directors, ultimately as Chairman of the local board and a member of the Board of YMCA-USA the national board as well. His service extended also to the Crisman School for Children with Learning Disabilities board, chair for two years, The Good Shepherd Medical Foundation board, Longview First United Methodist Church Board of Trustees, chair for two years. He was a proud member and sometime teacher in the Henry Foster Sunday School Class at Longview First Methodist as well.
Second only to his love for family and loyal friends, Guy’s passion was the legal profession. He was devoted to the practice of law as a profession. He loved being a lawyer, knowing in his heart that one of the worst things the Supreme Court ever did was to allow lawyer advertising, he served the profession for over fifty years at its highest level.
He received his J.D. degree in 1974 from Southern Methodist University School of Law, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi and Order of the Barristers.
He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the State Bar of Texas for six years, being chosen by his fellow board members to serve as Chairman of the Board for the 1999-2000 bar years. He was elected by the lawyers of the State to serve as President of the State Bar of Texas 2002-2003. He served six years as a delegate in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. In 2002 he was asked to be one of the inaugural commissioners of the Texas Access to Justice Commission, where he served for three years. Being honored as a life fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, he served six years as a member of the Foundation’s board. Appointed to the Texas Commission for Lawyer Discipline in 2009, he would serve six years on the commission, serving as Chairman for two years.
The poet says that the measure of a man and the time he is given is metered not in days but by the lives he touched along the way. If in his practice he helped even one client, then he would be proud to be remembered for same.
When asked what cutesy name the grandchildren and great grandchildren were going to call him, his answer was invariably, "Mister Harrison”. Perhaps he wasn’t the most touchy feely grandfather, but he loved them well and hopefully they knew it.
He hopes he did better by his sons. He treasured driving Worth to Forest Park Middle School listening and singing to the Steve Miller Band singing The Joker. His life memory of Parker has to be wound around an old green pickup truck, aptly named “Slime”, which met its demise burning to its final rest in a pasture, just short of the pond. Not sure anybody ever got the full story, but for sure ol’ Slime had served us well, letting us camp out from the back bed and just drive around enjoying time. Jerry Jeff Walker’s Pickup Truck Song is a solid reference.
While his love may not have been smothering on grandchildren or sons, it may have been over bearing on the one who shepherded his every step, Lucinda. He vowed he would not leave in the morning nor go to sleep at night without saying “I love you” and he tried his best to keep that vow.
Guy finished this good race as well as he could. Patience was not a mantle he wore well. But that said, he hopes those he met along the way will know he did his best to be an example of love to his family and loyalty to his friends.
A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church, Longview, at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 8, 2024 with a reception to follow in the Faith Center.
What’s your fondest memory of Guy?
What’s a lesson you learned from Guy?
Share a story where Guy's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Guy you’ll never forget.
How did Guy make you smile?