Norman John Harrison, Jr

Norman John Harrison, Jr. passed away Wednesday, March 2, 2011 in Kingsport, TN. He was born December 27, 1922 in Cairo, GA, to Norman J. Harrison, Sr. and Verna Louise Tyus.

Norm was quite the accomplished athlete in high school and college. He was a four sport athlete for the Cairo Syrupmakers, where he played football, basketball, track and baseballa€"and won many honors.

He received 14 scholarship offers and chose to play at his beloved University of Georgia. He was a member of the 1943 Rose Bowl Champions that defeated UCLA 9-0. At Georgia he was also a member of Pi Kappa Alpha, the Blue Key National Honor Society, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Society.

During his sophomore year he married Elizabeth King of Monticello, GA. It was in 1943 that he joined the army, where he served in Normandy and landed on Omaha Beach. After two and a half years in the service he returned to Athens, where he graduated with a degree in Education followed by a Masters in Education. He was also commissioned as a First Lieutenant at Fort Benning, GA.

Norm's first career and passion was that of a high school coach. He became an assistant coach at Newnan High in 1949 and in 1950 was named Head Coach and Athletic Director. Two seasons later, Newnan High won the North Georgia State title. In 2004 he was inducted into the Coweta Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1958 he moved his family to Jacksonville, FL, where he began a new career in the insurance industry. He joined American Heritage Life Insurance Co. and rose to Sr. Vice President and Agency Director. In addition to this he was one of the nine original founders of American Federal Savings and Loan. American Federal ultimately became Florida Bank, where he served as Chairman of the Board until it was sold to AmSouth.

He was very active in the Jacksonville community. He served as President of many organizations, some of which were The Gator Bowl Association 25th Silver Anniversary, South Jacksonville Rotary, Bulldog Club of Jacksonville, and Sales and Marketing Executives of Jacksonville,

He was a Shriner and Mason. Other organizations he was involved in were Police Athletic League, Junior Achievement, Sons of the Confederacy and B'nai B'rith.

Norm was a member of the Kingsport Rotary Club and also a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International.

In 1996 he married Pat Slaton Lee of Kingsport, Tennessee. They would go on to spend 15 wonderful years together. Pat took wonderful care of Norm when his health failed. She clearly gives new meaning to "in sickness and in health."

In addition to his wife, Pat, he is survived by his daughters, Linda Yonge, Brenda Greengrass, Dianne Lott and husband Tony, Debbie Johnson and husband Mark, Elaine Akin and husband Barry step-son Robb Lee and wife Jamie, nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Funeral services in Kingsport will be held Sunday, March 6th at 1:30 p.m. at the First Broad Street United Methodist Church. A private burial will take place in Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday, March 8th. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, March 8th at Southside United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, FL, at 2:00 p.m.

Honorary pallbearers will be Chris Verlander, Warren Powers, Shelby Mapp, Barry Adeeb, Phil Yonge, Billy Brim and Randy Crabtree.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers please make a donation to one of the following: Coweta Sports Hall of Fame Newnan, Georgia; Rotary Charity Foundation Centennial Gift Jacksonville, Florida; First Broad Street United Methodist Church, Kingsport, Tennessee

A special thanks to Norm's caregivers at Elmcroft and Wexford House.