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Mark Allyn Harrison

Writer's picture: Scott Carney Scott Carney

Mark Allyn Harrison went to be with our Lord and Savior on the morning of February 1, 2025 after a brief illness.

 

Mark was born in Seattle, WA on October 7, 1953 to Allyn W. Harrison and Patricia Ann (Deer) Harrison. His family later moved to the San Francisco, CA area (Mountain View) and later on to Miami, FL.

 

He graduated from Palmetto High School in Miami where he played the trombone in the school marching band. He attended the University of Florida, Gainesville where he pledged Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, majoring in pre-forestry. He also attended Miami-Dade Community College. He enjoyed playing racquetball and won a championship there.

 

Mark had also been very involved with the Boy Scouts, earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He traveled to Philmont Scout Ranch, was in the Order of the Arrow, and earned the 50 Mile afoot/afloat award. Later on, he became an assistant scout master with troops 604 and 344, where he went with the boys to camp at Fish Eating Creek, Camp Lone Oak, and also participated in the Barefoot Mailman Hike. Several of his boys went on to become Eagle Scouts.

 

While visiting his sister and brother-in-law in Kokomo, IN, he met and later married his wife Lu Anne at the First Presbyterian Church on August 27, 1977. They moved to Miami where he took a job with Southern Bell as an installer/repairman and also worked on the construction crew. He had many tales to tell about his time with the phone company, including being treed by Dobermans (they had to bring in a bucket truck to get him off the pole!), finding all kinds of creatures in the enclosures, such as bats, birds, mice and black widow spiders. He also had to make some repairs at the Sunny Palms nudist camp. He was a proud member of CWA union. Later on, he transferred to Indiana Bell in Indianapolis. It later changed names to Ameritech, SBC, and finally AT&T where he worked as a cable repairman. He had an incredible memory for locations and if the other guys couldn't find a cable box or pedestal, they would ask Mark and he could direct them to the right spot. He retired after 34 years as a phone man.

 

He eventually took part time work at Auto Zone here in Lebanon, and then to ROI Radio Pharmacy of Indianapolis where he served as a courier, delivering nuclear medicines and blood to area hospitals until his stroke three years ago.

 

Mark attended Otterbein United Methodist Church and Centenary United Methodist Church where he enjoyed singing in the choir and the Christmas cantatas. He loved music and listened to a wide variety, including Mitch Miller, The Beach Boys, The Bangles, Moody Blues, The Eagles, Don Williams, Straight No Chaser, and many others. He literally wore out the motor on his car cd player and had to get it replaced.

 

He was a huge fan of James Bond films and had seen them all, and loved watching Johnny Carson too. He loved to camp and fish, and worked outdoors in all kinds of weather. He enjoyed woodworking, was a great handyman and trouble shooter, and also was a certified scuba diver in his youth. Mark's favorite place to dive was the John Pennekamp Reef in South Florida. His ashes will be scattered at the Neptune Reef off Key Biscayne, FL.

 

He was a member of the Lebanon Kiwanis and enjoyed the annual fishing derby and flipping pancakes at the pancake supper. He sometimes played pickleball at the YMCA.

 

Mark was also fond of animals, and leaves behind his faithful border collie Misty as well as three cats, Loki, Shadow, and Bella.

 

He is survived by his wife of 47 years Lu Anne (Kirkendall) Harrison, two children, Christine (Twist) R. Harrison of Chicago, IL and Rachel M. Harrison of Lebanon; two sisters, Peggy Porter of Ft. Collins, CO and Marsha (Mike) Adnot of Gainesville, FL.  He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother-in-law Bob Porter.

 

Family and friends will gather Monday, February 10, 2025 for visitation from 1 p.m. until the funeral service at 3 p.m in the Strawmyer & Drury Mortuary, 2400 N. Lebanon Street, Lebanon. You are invited to visit the website www.strawmyerdrury.com where you may sign his online register and leave a personal message.



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