Wallace Bailey Harris Jr.

Wallace Bailey Harris Jr., 78, of Huntington, West Virginia, passed away on Friday, August 1st, 2025. He died surrounded by family in the house he had built for his wife and children, after a short-but-fatal illness.
Known as "Rocky" to his family and friends, he was born in Huntington to the late Wallace and Effie Harris on September 17th, 1946. He had a singular favorite sister, Yvonne, and several cousins with whom he was raised.
Rocky attended Vinson High school and Marshall University where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He served in the United States Air Force for four years and was deployed to Bitburg, Denver, and Duluth - where he met Ann Nyquist. On their second date he told her that he was going to marry her, and in the following June, he did.
They produced three children over the next decade: Brandon, Brett, and Jaclyn. During this time, Rocky left his job at that the Internal Revenue Service to found his first partnership, Jefferson and Harris, CPAs - which later became his own practice, the world-renowned and much sought-after Harris & Company, CPAs, and still later another partnership (Harris, Hardin & Company, A.C.).
Rocky was a proud and active member of Scottish Rite and worked closely with the Shriners Hospital International children's charity. He was a huge proponent of the United Way. He had several hobbies, including numismatics, philology, and golf (he made seven holes-in-one over his career). He listened to the Beatles, laughed at Christmas Vacation, and worshiped at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church.
He was a man of generosity and honor. He was a storyteller, a prankster, and a friend to all.
Ann preceded Rocky in death in April of 2024. He was also preceded by a grandson, Bodie. He is survived by his sister, Yvonne; three children: Brandon and his wife Stacey, Brett and his wife Kim, and Jaclyn and her husband Kris; seventeen grandchildren: Tyler, Tabatha, Hunter, Raven, Kade, Kathryn, Logan, Maxwell, Myrrandah, Mallorey, Lafe, Luke, Sydney, Aspen, Cedar, Sawyer, and Sparrow; and five great-grandchildren: Tilton, Isla, Kreedon, Eliana, and Everett.
A visitation will be held on Saturday, August 9th, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Klingel-Carpenter Mortuary. A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Sunday the 10th at Enslow Park Presbyterian Church with a reception afterwards.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in honor of Rocky Harris to Shriners Hospital International, United Way, or Enslow Park Presbyterian Church.