Darrell Harrison

James “Darrell” Harrison was born June 16, 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee to parents James “Jim” and Barbara (Dunn) Harrison. Darrell passed away peacefully on June 30, 2017 after a hard fight against brain cancer. Darrell loved the outdoors. He enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting, and any excuse to have comradery with friends and family. Growing up, Darrell would spend hours fishing off the jetties in California with his dad and brother. He became savvy in all types, and loved to share his knowledge of the sport with everyone he met. He had all of his children fishing as soon as they could hold a rod. Throughout his life, he traveled many places and fished both recreationally and competitively. In Texas, his favorite lake was Lake Fork, but he loved to travel to Mexico in search of the “Next Big Lunker”. He frequented places like El Salto, Cabo San Lucas, and La Paz. His largest sailfish was over 10 feet long, which he caught in Acapulco, and it is proudly hanging on the wall of his favorite restaurant in Addison, Texas. Darrell also enjoyed various hunting trips such as Mule Deer hunting in New Mexico with friends and Whitetail Deer hunting in Texas with family. His aspiration was to learn about as many species as possible. His enjoyment of camping began in a tent and evolved into a motor home he named "the whale"! Darrell's hangouts included concerts, NASCAR and state parks. One time, Darrell opened "the whale" for people in the parking lot of a Jimmy Buffet concert because there weren't enough restrooms available. A radio station came to interview him due to the big crowd. For the rest of the evening they dubbed "the whale" as the concert's "Pee-RV”. His goal was to travel the whole United States in the whale and he successfully checked off 35 states. Darrell never knew a stranger and made friends everywhere he went. Somehow he ended up fixing things here and there for everyone, even if they had just met! His construction knowledge began when he worked for his father in his younger years as a painter. He moved into the drywall business then later grew a general construction company for 16 years. His last company would become his favorite. He called it - Darrell's Handyman Honeydo's ! It was common for him to help people and sometimes he would give his services if they were unable to afford them. He was a simple man with a big heart. He was overloaded with cookies and gifts during the holidays due to his generosity. His joy in life was spending time with his wife and family. Taking them to unusual and exciting places for vacation was a treat. On any vacation, he wanted to make sure everyone was happy, and would constantly ask “Are you having fun, yet?” For many years, we traveled to South Padre Island, always ending up at Louie’s Backyard. He joined the kids on daredevil activities like bungee jumping and the slingshot. Louie’s was also a place where he showed off his amazing dance skills. One time, he got the whole family on the dance floor where they did the Macarena. His signature move was the “Window-Washer-Belly-Rub” combined with an up/down knee pump, and if you’ve seen him on the dance floor, you know exactly what that move is. In the last decade, Darrell added a new style of fishing that was more relaxed. The streams and rivers of Northern Colorado and Wyoming brought him both challenge and tranquility. It became more of a means of fishing for his dinner over that of competitive fishing. He would cook on the open fire, which brought on a new passion. He labeled himself a chemist of seasonings. You could often find him on a Sunday afternoon grilling and laughing with his kids and grandchildren at the pool. Everyone would agree he was a fun-loving guy who was known for his humor. His life of variety and adventure along with his faith brought on by his church helped him handle the diagnosis of Glioblastoma in March of 2016. He was a cancer warrior. Darrell had the benefits of expressing his love to his family and friends, telling them he knew exactly where he was going. He had a tremendous outpouring of support from everyone he knew and met over the years which helped him as he drew closer to the end. Without a doubt we all know that Darrell is in heaven fishing, smiling, and wanting to know...“Are you having fun, yet? We'll miss you "D". Peace be with you. Darrell is survived by his wife Sherri, children Jennifer Bates and her husband Chad, Nathan Harrison and his wife Danielle, Nicholas Harrison and his wife Lindsey and Amber Wilson and her husband Nate, grandchildren Parker and Preston Mesker, Cade Bates, Wyatt and Emma Harrison, Brynlee Harrison and he was so excited to know that a new baby girl Wilson was on the way! He is also survived by his mother Barbara Harrison and siblings David Harrison and his wife Dawn, Pamela Pickett, Connie Harrison, Julie Gray and her husband Lawrence and many loving nieces, nephews and friends. Darrell was preceded in death by his father Jim Harrison and his mother in law Joyce Young. A memorial service will be held to celebrate Darrel’s life on Thursday, July 6, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Prestonwood Baptist Church, 6801 W Park Blvd, Plano, Texas 75093, Pastor Neal Jeffrey, officiating. In lieu of flowers, Darrell and his family have requested that, if desired, contributions be made to the Cody Young Trust for Brain Injury, P O Box 1825, Johnson City, Texas, 78636.