James C. Harrison Jr.
His father and namesake ‘Big Jim’ and his younger brother Greg predeceased him. His mother Ruth Brown Harrison died shortly after he did. His paternal grandparents Mattie and Oliver C. Harrison lived next door, and he was forever lovingly dedicated to them. His maternal grandparents Lady and Audi Brown lived in Waterloo.
He is survived by an uncle, aunt, and many cousins.
James was not an ordinary man. He never married, had children, or held the same occupation for an extended period. Most of the time he preferred to keep his whereabouts unknown. He was not running away from anything but toward something—adventure. His blue eyes were wise and full of wanderlust. His humor was sharp. To say he marched to a different drummer would be an understatement. He must have heard the entire percussion section.
From childhood, he entertained his classmates with stories he learned from Grandfather Harrison to give his teachers a break. As a pre-teen he became disillusioned with the ‘status quo’ and began to see himself through literature—finding kindred spirits in great authors. He attended Rogers and Bradshaw high schools. He graduated from UNA and became a social worker in Atlanta and Blue Ridge, Georgia. Then he decided to work manual labor in Houston where he focused on stock futures to supplement his income and accommodate his travel dreams. He returned to Birmingham, Alabama around 1990 and lost everything to an apartment fire (1994). He decided to move to Alaska to work in the fishing industry and quickly became a supervisor. The off season worked perfectly with his travels.
In 2006, he moved back to Tuscaloosa to care for his brother until he died in January of 2007. Then he moved his father back to his home in Killen, Alabama and cared for him until he died several months later. He will now be buried beside them in Harrison Cemetery. He was proud of the Harrison name and his heritage.
His life ended having visited every continent except Antarctica. He died in the foothills of the magnificent Rocky Mountains after four months of camping. A place he had visited several times even with his deteriorating health. He had planned a trip to Portugal for the following year.
A service will be held Sunday, March 26, 2017, 2 p.m., at the Harrison Chapel United Methodist Church with Brother Josh Clayton officiating. Directions: past Shoals Creek bridge turn left on Hwy. 43 N. After one mile turn left on County Road 65 and continue straight until church on left.
