DON HARRELL

HARRELL--Don William, died in New York on December 18, 2018. Called Sonny as a child, Don was born in Camden, AR, on January 22, 1938. He worked for Senator Fulbright after college and later got a Ph.D. in English from Vanderbilt, where he met his wife, Christine, in 1968. Don taught English at the University of Houston, but, frustrated by academia, he left to work for his childhood friend David Pryor, who became governor of Arkansas in 1974. After Pryor was elected to the Senate, Don served for 10 years as his chief of staff. In 1992, he moved to New York to head external relations for TIAA. He served on the boards of the Theater Development Fund, the Stepping Stones Foundation, and the American Shakespeare Center. He was a voracious reader, a talented writer, an accomplished pianist, and a renowned raconteur. He was kind, selfless, warm, hilar- ious, generous, and loving. Through his experience, strength, and hope, he saved hundreds of lives. Don is survived by his wife, Chris; his sister, Amy; his son, John, and daughter-in-law, Jenny; his son, Jeremy; and his four grandchildren. He is predeceased by his sister, Dotty.