Colonel (Retired) Roy Lee Harris, Jr.
In loving memory of our Roy Harris Jr., who passed away on June 14, 2022, peacefully in his home and in the arms of his two loving daughters. father
Born September 3, 1925, in Greenville, NC, he enrolled in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill when he was 16 years old but left his studies due to the war in order to enlist in the Army Air Corp Cadet Training Program. He became a pilot in the Air Force and had a distinguished career flying many different planes, but most especially the B-58 Hustler, which was the first supersonic bomber in the world. He served as the commander of the largest nuclear armed bomber unit in the Air Force at that time. He later was appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff to serve as the Director of the Emergency Airborne Communications for the White House under President Richard Nixon, often flying Air Force 2 during that time. Upon completion of the assignment in Washington, he was assigned to the 42rnd Air Division as Director of Operations at McCoy Air Force Base in Orlando. He then assumed command of the 306 Bomb Wing at McCoy and worked closely with the City of Orlando to transfer the property of McCoy AFB to the
Orlando International Airport Authority.
He retired as a Colonel after 32 years in the Air Force and took a civilian position in Orlando as the founding Director of the Industrial Development Commission
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(IDC), which later became known as the Economic Development Commission (EDC) in Orlando. He served there for 10 years, assisting to bring several major companies to Orlando, such as Westinghouse, Siemens, Harcourt Brace, AAA, and many others. He was also known for his philanthropy in the community, serving the Arnold Palmer Hospital Foundation in many different capacities. He also loved to travel and see the world, visiting more than 70 countries on 6 continents. But for us, his family, we knew him as a man who shared a deep and unreserved love for all of us. He was kind, giving,
and deeply committed to his family.
We have wonderful memories of traveling with him, sharing his favorite dinner at Dixie Crossroads, enjoying the beach, eating his favorite chocolate, and sharing his pride in how Orlando grew and developed as a result of his dedication and hard work. Mostly, we remember his unwavering, fierce love for his family and how much we grew in the presence of that love.
He will be deeply missed by his daughter Sherrie Harris Sitarik (Marshall), Darcy Lee Harris (Brad), his grandchildren Shannon Sitarik Rowell (Steve), Stacey Sitarik Gratzon (Andrew), Lauren Nichols, and his greatgrandchildren Preston, Amalie, Sierra, Arleigh, Cameron, and Caleb.
A celebration of life
Memorial donations
Foundation through com/royharris. will be held at a later date. may be made to the Orlando Health the direct link: Give.orlandohealth.