James (Jim) Maurice Harris Obituary (1926

James (Jim) Maurice Harris returned to his Heavenly Father on Thursday morning, March 16, 2017, in Provo, Utah, with his wife of 63 years by his side. He was 90 years old. Jim was born in Ogden, Utah, to Everett Clyde and Clarabelle Russell Harris on July 29, 1926. He was the sixth of ten children. After graduating from Ogden High School in 1944, Jim joined the Army Air Corps and was stationed in Okinawa and the Philippines. In 1948, Jim was called to serve a two-and-a-half year mission for the LDS church in the Central States Mission. Jim attended Weber State College in Ogden and, later, Utah State University, where he met his future wife, Delores Hug. They graduated together and then Jim earned a Master’s degree while Delores taught school for a year before they were married in 1953. After the wedding, they moved to Ithaca, New York, where Jim graduated with honors from Cornell University. Jim was intelligent, well-read, and had an exceptional understanding of the English language. He was sharp-minded until the end and loved doing the daily crossword puzzle with Delores. After graduating from Cornell, Jim accepted a professorship at Brigham Young University, where he taught in the Educational Psychology Department. During this time, his family accompanied him on three sabbatical leaves from the university to Colorado, Hawaii, and California. This brought the family close together, and provided life-long memories. After retirement in 1994, Jim and Delores served a mission in historic Nauvoo, Illinois from 1999-2000, which was a highlight of their retirement years. Jim had an unwavering testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and served diligently in numerous callings in the LDS church throughout his life. He was a gentle man of patience and integrity. Jim believed in the fundamental goodness of the universe. He grew up in modest circumstances, and he was blessed with the ability to be satisfied with what he had. While courting Delores, he once proclaimed that if he were rich, he’d buy all the whipped cream and bananas he could eat. Jim was a devoted husband, both in word and deed, to Delores, who he often said was the love of his life. An eternal optimist, he did not fear death, but he loved life and lived it to the fullest. His family enjoyed his quirky sense of humor. He was full of puns and had a song for virtually every situation. He enjoyed nothing more than good books, movies, and BYU sports, preferably all with happy endings. Thanks, Dad, for all the good memories and for the many years of real-life happy endings. Jim is survived by his wife, Delores Hug Harris, eight children, James (Melinda Woolf), Michael, Susan (Ray) Hansen, David (Jane England), Linda (Gregg) Pugmire, Steven, Leilani (Burt) Garfield and Heidi (Todd) Bergeson, 26 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Sonia (Alan) Baczuk, brother, Boyce R. Harris, sister-in-law, Barbara Harris and brother-in-law, Richard Best. Funeral services will be held at 12:00 noon, Tuesday, March 21, 2016 at the Pleasant View 1st Ward Chapel, 650 East Stadium Ave., Provo, Utah. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center Street, Monday, March 20, from 6-8:00 p.m. and at the church Tuesday, from 11-11:45 a.m. prior to services. Interment will be at the Eastlawn Memorial Hills Garden Cemetery in Provo, Utah. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.