HENRY HARRISON

1934 - 2021

HARRISON Henry Ames HARRISON February 18, 1934 - April 8, 2021 God called Henry Ames Harrison home on April 8, 2021 after a brave battle with a cancer he called "the varmint". He came into this world as the pride and joy and only child of Doris Ames and Winfield Harrison in Springfield, Massachusetts. Ames was married almost 60 years to Deanna DeGrey, and they had four children, 15 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Ames graduated high school in Scottsdale, Arizona, drafted and served two years in the Army, attended University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1955, receiving a BS in Forestry. After college, Ames worked in the US Forest Service, starting as a Smoke Jumper out of Missoula, Montana, an elite group he was very proud to be a part of. He was working at the Wasatch Mountain Range in Utah when he met the love of his life, Deanna. When Ames retired from the Department of Agriculture, he stayed busy in real estate and the home remodeling business, where he met some great people who became friends to him. Friends were as important to Ames as his family. He enjoyed attending reunions at his Scottsdale high school as well as his summer youth camp - Camp Wonalancet. He stayed connected to University of Massachusetts, even being heavily involved in building a garden for that university. He kept in touch with friends from his youth as best he could. Ames was active in the churches he belonged to, born and raise Congregationalist. After moving to Virginia, he called Messiah Methodist Church in Springfield his place of worship. He would usher once a month and seven of his 15 grandchildren were Christened there. Ames loved to explore, which led him to travel to each of the 50 American States, Sweden, England, Scotland, Panama as well as Canada and Mexico. If he wasn't traveling, he was learning about other countries. Ames was happiest being outdoors and working hard made him feel content. You could say he was a simple man as he just needed family, friendship, outdoors and good competition. He believed in humankind and would often give people the chance they needed by finding work for them. Many knew him by only Ames, his nieces and nephews knew him as Uncle Harry, his children as Dad and his wife, Deanna, as "Burt". He was a great storyteller and loved to tell Smoke Jumper jokes to anyone who would listen. Ames was a great husband, patriarch, and friend. Ames is survived by his four children, Martha (and Kelly) Bradshaw, Thomas Scott (and Joni) Harrison, Doris (and Peter) Axelson, and Ben (and Angela) Harrison, 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by the love of his life, Deanna DeGrey Harrison, his parents, Doris and Winfield Harrison, and his grandson Trevor Bradshaw. Memorial will be held 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, at Messiah United Methodist Church, West Springfield, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Nature Conservancy (nature.org).Memorial will be held 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 14, at Messiah United Methodist Church, West Springfield, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Nature Conservancy (nature.org).