Colonel Sammie E. Harrison (Sam) passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024. He was 86. He was born in Stephenville, Texas, and lived much of his early life in Dallas, Texas. Col. Harrison is survived by his loving wife, Shari Bishop Harrison; his sons Tom Harrison (Jennifer) of Blooming Grove, Texas; Richard Harrison (Lori) of Freeport, Florida, and his daughter Julie Guay (Tom) of Madison, Alabama, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas C. Harrison, his mother, Veneta Bessire Bates, and his brothers, Joe A. Harrison and Tom G. Harrison.
Col. Harrison graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Arlington. He graduated from the University of Nebraska in Omaha and received his Master’s Degree from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. He also graduated from the U.S. Army Field Artillery Officers Candidate School, the U.S. Army Aviation School, the U.S. Army Ordnance School, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. Col. Harrison served in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps for thirty-five years. His career included four years as an enlisted Marine, three years as an enlisted soldier, and twenty-eight years as an officer in the U.S. Army. Assignments included command of units ranging from squad leader to brigade commander. He considered it a privilege to serve as the Commander of the Warrant Officer Candidate Company at Fort Rucker, Alabama; the 7oth Ordnance Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas; the 83rd Ordnance Battalion, Republic of Korea; and the 269th Ordnance Brigade, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. He served three years in Southeast Asia and eight years in the Republic of Korea.
Following retirement from the Army, Col Harrison was the Administrator of the Solid Waste Authority in Huntsville, Alabama. His hobbies included traveling, cooking, fishing, sailing, diving, painting, sculpting, and reading. He previously held a 100 Ton Master’s Certificate from the U.S. Coast Guard and was a certified rescue diver. He and his wife, Shari, loved and cared for many pets in their 39-year marriage, including Ruby and Abbey, who grieve his loss. Col. Harrison was an Episcopalian and was very active at the Church of the Epiphany in Guntersville and, most recently, Christ Church in Albertville.
A service of thanksgiving and remembrance will be held at 1:00 pm on June 1, 2024, at Christ Episcopal Church, 607 E. Main Street, Albertville, Alabama. Col Harrison will be interred at the National Cemetery in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
