Dan Harris Jr.

Pastor Dan Harris, Jr., was born July 17, 1947, in Greenville, MS. He was the youngest child of Dan Sr. and Birda Harris.

Dan’s educational foundation started in the Greenville, MS, public school system and graduated from Coleman High School in 1967. While in high school and for a short time, Dan played French Horn in the Coleman High School Marching and Concert Band. He was also a gifted athlete who played baseball, lettered in basketball, and received a scholarship to play football at Arkansas A&M College. Dan completed his degree in education at Mississippi Valley State University. In his love for learning, Dan was four hours from receiving a second degree in Sociology from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, UT.

Dan served two years in the United States Army receiving a National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star and one Purple Heart during his Vietnam Tour.

Dan’s career path included employment at the Mississippi Harrison County Sheriff Department of Gulfport, MS, Professional Guidance Counselor and Recreational Advisor at the Clearfield Job Corps Center of Clearfield, UT, Purchasing Agent for Naval Oceanographic of Bay St. Louis, MS, Denver/Rio-Grande Railroad Engineer of Salt Lake City, UT, and finally, he retired after a fulfilling career with the Federal Railroad Administration beginning in Seattle, WA, and concluded this profession in Mobile, AL.

Dan was a faithful and dedicated servant of God. While living in the State of Utah and attending Worldwide Gospel Church in Salt Lake City, he taught Sunday School. At Christian Tabernacle Church in Seattle, he served as Sunday School Superintendent. When Dan received and accepted his calling into the Gospel Ministry, he continued his work as the Assistant Youth Pastor and later co-pastored in the Youth Department at the Nazaree Full Gospel Church. God further advanced Pastor Dan in the role of Assistant Pastor at Little Welcome Baptist Church and later as Pastor of the Pavilion of Praise Church Ministries in Mobile, AL.

Pastor Dan married the love of his life, Barbara Ann Nelson-Harris, on October 10, 1972, and they celebrated their Golden Anniversary with family and friends in 2022. To this union was born three children.

Pastor Dan was preceded in death by his parents, Reverend Dan Harris, Sr., and Birda Brown-Harris; sisters, Dorothy Bundles, Clemmie Hunter, and Irma Johnson; and brothers, Edward Harris and Douglas Harris.

He leaves to continue his legacy: his son, Markus A. Harris of Atlanta, Georgia; two daughters, Kenya Harris-Jones (Maurice) of Dacula, GA, and Nigeria N. Harris of Dacula, GA; five grandchildren, Bria Jones of Dacula, GA, Amauri Jones of Dacula, GA, Iysis Harris and Markus Harris, Jr., (Lillian Velez-Miranda, mother) of Theodore, AL, and Rheese Jones of Dacula, GA; and four godchildren, Steven Walls (Sherell) of Seattle, WA, Shajuan Ashley of Boise, ID, Terence Stanton (Miranda) of Huntsville, AL, and Glory Shekinah Stanton of Nashville, TN.

Raised in household as younger siblings were one niece, Phyllis Harris-Drayton of Troy, MI; and three nephews, John Harris (Ingrid) of Springfield, MA, Ken Harris (Gina) Atlanta, GA, and Marvin Harris of Houston, TX.

Dan’s memory will also be cherished by his sisters-in-law, Janice Johnson of Picayune, MS, and Glory Johnson-Stanton (Calvin) of Clinton, UT; godsister-in-law, Ann Myers (Eddie) of Picayune, MS; brothers-in-law, Jesse Johnson, Jr., (GayNell) of Pass Christian, MS, Ken Nelson (Sharon) of South Lake, TX, Claude Nelson of Layton, UT, and David Smauldon (Bettye) of South Ogden, UT.

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