Robert Harris

Robert Benjamin Harris was born June 12, 1924 in Denton, Texas and passed away from natural causes on December 26, 2016 in Kerrville, TX. He was 92 years old. He was the son of Pearl Blow and Dr. Benjamin Bee Harris and grew up in Denton, where his father was the head of the Biology Department and later the Dean at North Texas State Teachers College (now the University of North Texas).\r\n\r\nAs a child, he and his sister, Nancy were the models and provided the inspiration for the Bob and Nancy characters in the Real Life Reader series. He earned his Eagle Scout at 16 and graduated from the Teachers College High School in January of 1941. He began attending North Texas in the Fall of 1941, studying biology. Prior to completing his degree, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy where he was an ensign and "Hellcat" pilot from 1943-1947. While in the Navy, he logged many hours of flight time, visited the Mediterranean on maneuvers and walked away from a crash-landing on an Aircraft Carrier. He returned to Denton after his service to finish his degree in biology at North Texas and then attended and graduated from the University of Texas School of Dentistry in Houston in 1952. \r\n\r\nHe began practicing as a dentist in Corpus Christi after graduation and ultimately moved his family and practice to Kenedy, Texas, where he retired in 1997. From there, he moved to Kerrville, Texas to be closer to family and where he felt he could better pursue his lifelong interests in art, taxidermy and fly fishing. \r\n\r\nHe appreciated good big band music, inspirational athletes, animals of all sorts, exceptional color and fine detail. He first began drawing wildlife and scenes from the Old West as a 3-year-old and began fly fishing when he was 13. He returned many times through the years to fish the same Colorado stream where he first wet a fly and leaves a legacy of hundreds of paintings depicting his vision of the world hanging on walls around the country.\r\n\r\nPreceding him in death were his parents and sister, Nancy Bell.\r\n\r\nHe is survived by his son, Scott Jay; son, Robert Bonneau and wife Laurie; daughter Lori Sue Appleton and husband David; four grandchildren, R.J., Naisha, and Amber Harris and Adair Appleton; and a niece, Nancy Elizabeth Cooper and her husband Larry Mayo as well as many other family members and dear friends.\r\n\r\nA memorial service to be held at 10 AM, Friday, January 13, 2017 at First Presbyterian Church. His gravestone will be placed alongside his parents' at Roselawn Memorial Park in Denton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorials be given to either the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center (228 Earl Garrett Street, Kerrville, Texas 78028) or Peterson Hospice (1121 Broadway, Kerrville, Texas 78028).