Kye Harris

KYE
HARRIS, 80
"IWO JIMA SURVIVOR"

WINTER HAVEN - Kye Harris, 80, of Winter Haven, FL, went to be with his Lord on October 25, 2007, while a patient at the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, FL. Cause of death is pending.
Mr. Harris was born March 22, 1927 in Cordele, GA, son of Jarvis B. and Mary O. Harris. While quite young his family moved to Charlotte, NC where members of his family had opened what is now known as the Harris-Teeter Super Markets.
Mr. Harris served honorably with the U.S. Marines Fourth Division in the South Pacific during WWII engaging in combat in four major battles including the Marshall Islands, Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima and received the Purple Heart having been wounded numerous times. After discharge from the military, he served in various ministries including Director of Youth for Christ in Charlotte, NC; pastor of a church in New Mexico, and many years with Christian Schools, Inc. out of Mountlake Terrace, WA establishing more than 70 Christian schools across the United States, including Indianapolis, IN, West Palm Beach, FL, Hagerstown, MD, Akron, OH, and Cuyahoga Falls, OH. He held a Ph.D. in Education.
On September 2, 1945 he married his high school sweetheart, Frances Whitley, from Charlotte, who survives him. They have five children; Frances (Bonnie) Frodge, Alturas; Kye Harris III, Winter Haven; Sue Whicker, Winter Haven; Jeanne Cooper, Newnan, GA; and the late Virginia Kram. They have 14 grandchildren and 36 great grandchildren. He is also survived by one brother, Robert L. Harris of Charlotte NC and three sisters, Mary Lee Polk of Charlotte; Benita Reed of Columbia SC; and Joyce Scott of Huntsville AL, and many nieces and nephews. He was a member of the Community Bible Chapel in Alturas, FL, where Dr. Dan Frodge is Pastor.
Viewing will be at the Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, 2198 K-Ville Road in Auburndale on Friday, November 2 at 6:00 pm. Funeral services will be on Saturday, November 3 at 3:00 at the Faith Baptist Church, 2140 Crystal Beach Rd., Winter Haven with a viewing at 2:00 pm. Interment will be at 2:00 pm on Monday, November 5 in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL. Grandsons of Mr. Harris will serve as pallbearers.