George Dean Harris, Jr Jr

George Dean Harris, Jr., was born in Norfolk, Virginia, May 4, 1948, where his father was an Army Air Corp flight instructor. His mother was teaching the ground school for those pilots and that's how his parents, Georg, Sr. and Denitia (Wright) Harris, met. When George, Sr.'s military service ended, the family moved to Ada, OK, where George's sister, Denitia Elizabeth was born in 1952. The family lived in town until George was in Junior High School, then moved to a small ranch east of Ada. He enjoyed outdoor life, was an avid fisherman and hunted small game on the ranch.

George attended Horace Mann Elementary School in Ada,OK, where he graduated from Ada High School in 1966. After attending East Central University, Ada, OK, for two years, he enlisted in the US Navy with a 6 year commitment. He was a nuclear power plant technician and was an instructor for nuclear corrosion control for a few years in Pocatelo, Idaho. During his last year in the Navy, George was stationed aboard the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, The Enterprise, and spent a year in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War.

After his honorable discharge from the Navy, George returned to Ada to complete his college education at East Central University. He simultaneously achieved Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics, physics and chemistry. In 1979, he began working for Phillips Petroleum Company in Shidler, Oklahoma, while living in Kaw City, Oklahoma. Shortly after college graduation, George took up sailing and built his own sailboat while living in Kaw City. After a few years, he was transferred to El Dorado, AR. In the early 1980s, George was transferred to Houston, TX, as a coordinator for cathodic corrosion control at many Phillps refineries, storage facilities and production sites. George continued his love of sailing before leaving the Houston area and obtained his captain's papers.

While living in Houston, he married his long-time friend, Marta Sue "Suzy" Bauer on November 23, 1994. George and "Suzy" obtained SCUBA certifications in 1995 and made several trips to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico to enjoy the sport for several years. Also while living in Houston, George obtained his FAA glider pilot's license. He purchased a glider, Papa Zulu, in a partnership with one of his flying buddies. The two drove to California to pick up the glider and had many stories to tell about the trip.

George and Suzy lived in Houston until 1997, when George was transferred to the Phillips Petroleum Company research facility in Bartlesville, OK, where he became a research scientist in corrosion control. He took up bicycle riding and joined the Bartlesville Pedalers Club. George rode Freewheel Oklahoma, a ride that zig-zagged across Oklahoma from the Texas state line to the Kansas state line, three times. The ride took a week to complete and involved camping in various small towns throughout Oklahoma.

After retirement from ConocoPhillips Petroleum Company on 2008, George became interested in designing, building and flying small model airplanes. In recent years he collaborated with several fellow modelers on "free-flight" planes and on capacitor planes. Many times Kiefer, one of the cats, would join him on the workbench to help with the build process. Sometimes Kiefer would even pick up a small part and run off with it, causing George to have to chase down the cat to retrieve parts.

George is survived by his wife, Marta Bauer Harris, sister Denitia Elizabeth St. Clair and her children, Michelle Poteet and Nathan Poteet; his brother-in-law Robert Leonard Bauer, nephews Carl Wayne Bauer and Jeffrey Alan Bauer; great nephews Cade William Bauer, Benjamin Conrad Bauer, Jayden Robert Bauer and Nathanial Ray Poteet; great nieces Trisha Lynn Bauer, Chloe Miranda Bauer and Rachel Poteet.