Donald L. Harrison was born on March 12, 1945, to Luetta Marie (Moore)
Harrison and George Augustus Harrison, in Great Bend, Kansas. He passed
away on November 5, 2021, at his home, in Colby, KS, at the age of 76.
Don, along with his parents and older brother, Bob, live in Larned,
where his dad worked in a funeral home, before moving back to Colby to
help his grandfather Harrison rebuild the Harrison Motor Company, after
it had burned down. Several years later Don’s dad decided to return to
his original career in the funeral business and in 1956 built Harrison
Chapel.
Don graduated from Colby High School in 1963, he then attended Hutchison
Jr. College and transferred to Kansas City Jr. College. In 1966 Don
joined the US Army. He was honorably discharged in 1969. Seeing a lot of
the world during his time in the service, he learned that having an
education was something he needed the most.
After his discharge Don went back to college at Washburn University, in
Topeka, planning on becoming a teacher. But as life would have it, his
mother died suddenly during this college time and that turned his
interest towards helping his dad in the funeral home. After graduating
from Washburn, Don went to San Francisco College of Mortuary Science and
then returned home in 1972 to work with his father at Harrison Chapel.
Don married Cathy J. Deyle on March 30, 1974, in Colby. They were
blessed with two daughters, Nikki and Lindsey; and eventually three of
their greatest blessings, grandsons; Landon, Jacob and Carson.
Don purchased the funeral home from his father in 1979 and he and Cathy
worked together for more than forty years serving the community during
their time of need at Harrison Chapel, before retiring in 2011.
Don and Cathy traveled in their early years of marriage with friends to
many tropical places, enjoying beaches and scuba diving in all three
Cayman Islands, Aruba, Kauai, and destinations in Mexico. But Don’s
favorite trips were after retirement when he and Cathy took their family
to Disney World, in Orlando, Florida; and then he and Cathy went to
Alaska on a trip cruising for one week and then spending one week on
land. They left a small piece of their hearts in Alaska.
Don thoroughly enjoyed golfing with his buddies at Meadow Lake Golf
Course and taking an annual trip with a larger group to Phoenix, Arizona
in the winter each year.
He was a member or past member of many organizations, such as Colby
Kiwanis Club, 20+ years with the Colby College Vet. Tech IOCCA
Committee, American Legion Post #0363, VFW Post #6882, Colby United
Methodist Church, and he was a founding member of Hospice Services of
Thomas County.
Don was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert G.
Harrison. He is survived by his wife, Cathy, of Colby; their daughters,
Nikki (Andy) Bowen, along with grandson, Jacob, of Manhattan, KS and
Lindsey (George) Tubbs, along with grandsons, Landon Bradley and Carson
Smiley, of Colby; brother-in-law Gary (Mary) Deyle and sister-in-law
Rita (Bobby) Jones, all of Benkelman, NE; sister-in-law Judy (Dusty)
Baker, of Kansas City, KS and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends
who were all very close to his heart.
Visitation is 3-7:00 p.m. Monday, November 8, 2021, at Baalmann
Mortuary, Colby. Funeral Service is 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 9,
2021, at the United Methodist Church, Colby, with burial in Beulah
Cemetery, Colby. Memorials may be made to the Levant Community Church
Building Fund and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby,
KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com