Marshall Edward Harris

1930 - 2021

Marshall Edward Harris
March 26, 1930 - July 2, 2021
Fort Worth, Texas - Marshall Edward Harris passed away July 2, 2021, surrounded by family at his home in Fort Worth.
Funeral Mass: 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at St. Andrew Catholic Church. Private Interment: Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Rosary: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, prior to the service.
Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that charitable gifts are made to Wounded Warriors or another veterans' support organization.
Born the oldest of five children in Daytona Beach, Fla., to Herbert Edward and Katherine Harris on March 26, 1930. Marshall graduated from nearby DeLand High School before Texas Christian University recruited him for its football team. A three-year letterman and starter for the Horned Frogs, Marshall played on the SWC Championship team in 1951 and was starter in the 1952 Cotton Bowl. A member of the first Academic All-American Team in 1952, he also earned honorable mention All-Southwest Conference honors in 1953. Marshall took great pride in playing for the legendary coach, Dutch Meyer, even storing Meyer's handwritten iconic spread formation plays among his many important keepsakes.
Graduating with a B.A. in 1954, he married college sweetheart, Marlene Schnellenbach, that summer and put his geology degree to work in the West Texas oilfields before joining the U.S. Air Force in 1955. Having already served in the U.S. Navy Reserves just after high school and in the ROTC at TCU, Marshall's early Air Force duty included flying the T-29 while stationed at bases in Texas. He became a launch control officer with the 549th and 566th strategic missile squadrons at Warren AFB in Wyoming, followed by service as a missile combat crew commander, training pilots for the country's first nuclear strike program.
He also trained at the SAC base in Little Rock before his service in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. There, he flew more than 300 combat missions over Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos, attaining the rank of major. In 1968, Marshall was awarded the first of his two Distinguished Flying Crosses and first of five Air Medals. His Vietnam duty included piloting KC-135 tankers and C-130 troop transports, the latter when attached to the 314th Tactical Airlift Wing. He was also awarded the National Defense Service Medal before returning to Fort Worth in 1970 to serve in positions including squadron commander and wing officer controller for the 7th Bombadier Wing at Carswell AFB.
Upon retiring from 22 years with the USAF in 1976, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. His post-military years stayed busy as he earned his master's degree at TCU in 1977 and worked for the State of Texas in logistics for government agencies, while also becoming an avid supporter of TCU sports. He and Marlene kept 40-yard-line tickets for home games at Amon Carter Stadium for decades (where they famously hosted great tailgate parties ) and traveled to countless road games, including the 2011 Rose Bowl Game.
In 2002, Marshall was inducted into the Academic All-American Team Hall of Fame, and then in 2009 was inducted into the TCU Lettermen's Hall of Fame. He was a lifetime member of the TCU Letterman's Association, now renamed as the Block T Association, and was a longtime Letterman's board member.
At home, Marshall was known for his hearty laugh and ready wit, strong faith, kindness and generous spirit, as well as a passion for gardening and for classical music, as he and Marlene were devoted supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony. He loved traveling the U.S. and Europe with Marlene and vacationing near his childhood home every July for more than 60 years at New Smyrna Beach.
He is survived by his devoted wife, Marlene; son, Marshall Kurt (June); daughters, Michelle Smith (Greg) and Danielle Flori; grandchildren, Cole and Devon Harris, AJ (Andrea), Ryan, and Hunter Smith and Gus and Gianna Flori; great-grandson, AJ Smith, Jr.; and brothers, Tommy and Bill Harris.