CLICK HERE FOR LIVESTREAM OF FUNERAL SERVICE

Loyd L. Harris, Jr, 89, of Jacksonville, Arkansas passed away October 5, 2021, at the Little Rock Veterans Hospital.  Loyd left us after a lengthy illness, on the day before what would have been his 65 year wedding anniversary to wife, Dawn F. Harris, who predeceased him in 2019.  He was a loving son, brother, husband, father of three, grandfather of eight, great-grandfather of nine, and uncle to five.

Loyd was loved by many for his kindness, generosity and his gentle spirit.  He was a philanthropist known to help those in need, often giving to anyone he thought needed more than he did. Loyd grew up with two younger brothers as a sharecropper's son on a farm in Naylor, Missouri. After high school, he joined the Air Force with his brother. He earned the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, while serving in the Air Force Security Service with his specialty as a Radio Operator and Instructor. He was stationed solo in Japan and later with his family in Florida (where he met his wife), as well as Germany, Mississippi, Alaska, Taiwan, and Texas. After retiring from the military, the family then returned to Naylor where he served as Mayor and Chief of Police. He helped update the water and ambulance services of that town. He and his wife became EMTs along with other citizens to provide over 200 ambulance runs from rural Naylor to Poplar Bluff. He also dabbled in politics as a candidate for Missouri and Arkansas State Representative. He was the local sponsor of branch banking, a free tax preparer for seniors, and very active in the Ripley County community. After his children finished high school, he and Dawn moved to Jacksonville, Arkansas to be near Little Rock Air Force Base.

As a small business owner, Loyd became a Library Media and Book Specialist. He was a dedicated and beloved supporter of school libraries and was honored with a lifetime membership to the Arkansas Association of Instructional Media.  He authored a yearly "Arkansas Charlie May Simon Children's Award Book" pamphlet and hosted multiple summer co-op workshops for educators using that pamphlet.  He often travelled to small towns in Arkansas and could tell you in detail how to navigate the best roads in most nearby states.  He retired from this work in 2019 at age 87, but continued to assist in writing the annual pamphlet. A talented writer and editor, he helped his family edit college papers, was a sportswriter for multiple local papers and a Trivia Game Show Finalist.

Loyd was a gifted athlete playing basketball, flag football, baseball, softball and bowling in his younger years, and in later years was an avid golfer who shot a Hole-in-One at the Deer Run Golf Course. Throughout his lifetime he was a golf tournament organizer at various sites. Loyd was a referee and coach for many sports, including the High School State Championships.  He was also a fisherman and sports photographer. Loyd was a lifetime fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, Mizzou basketball, PGA golf, and Dallas Cowboys football. He was a high school sports broadcaster in Ripley County, Missouri along with being a popular radio host for a local easy listening show.

Being raised on a farm meant Loyd knew how to select the freshest produce and was well-known for gifts of pecans, watermelons, peaches, and tomatoes to family and friends in his life. His grandkids will tell you that he was the family's favorite breakfast cook, and the fond memories of "Donald Duck" answering the phone when they called their grandfather.

In addition to his parents, Loyd was preceded in death by his wife, two brothers, and a sister-in-law. He is survived by three children, eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and a sister-in-law.

We miss him greatly and were sincerely honored to be part of his amazing journey in life. He would want to say a special thank you to the health care staff at the Veterans Administration Hospitals in Little Rock and Ft. Roots.  His final messages to his family and friends were to trust your intuition, keep working hard to reach goals, never give up, and to be kind to others as you might have been put here to help another at this moment.

Memorial donations in Loyd's honor are suggested to be sent to the Arkansas Library Association at https://www.arlib.org/donate .

Funeral services will be 3:00 p.m., Sunday, October 10, 2021 at Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home. A visitation will be two hours prior, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements by Moore's Jacksonville Funeral Home, (501) 982-2136.