Funeral for Dr. Percy Harris is Monday in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Services for Dr. Percy Harris take place at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 30, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1340 Third Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids.

Visitation is from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at Cedar Memorial Park Chapel of Memories Stateroom, 4200 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids.

Harris, the first black physician in Cedar Rapids, died Tuesday at his home. He was 89.

During his life, Harris broke down racial barriers and inspired others through his community leadership.

He served as medical staff president at St. Luke's Hospital in 1976 and was a driving force behind introducing the city's only program of cardiac catheterization and cardiovascular surgery.

In 1977, he was appointed as the first black member of the Iowa Board of Regents.

He helped raise money for the Jane Boyd Community House, served with the local NAACP chapter and became the Linn County Medical Examiner, a post he held for decades.

Read more about the life of Percy Harris and reaction to his death here.

Born Sept. 4, 1927, in Durant, Miss., Harris and his wife, Lileah Harris, came to Cedar Rapids in 1957 for his internship with St. Luke's.

Lileah Harris became a community leader in her own right, serving on the board of the Cedar Rapids chapter of the NAACP and on the Cedar Rapids Human Rights Commission. She died in 2014.

The couple raised 12 children: daughters Rebecca, Sarah, Anne and Lileah and sons Grant, Matthew, Mark, Paul, Philip, Peter, David and Bruce.

'We celebrate our father's legacy and 89 years,” the children said in a combined statement. 'From humble beginnings, his life serves as an inspiration and model for being engaged as a family man and a member of the community.

'Dad loved Cedar Rapids and he loved serving others. We continue to hear stories of how he impacted people's lives. We will miss him but are grateful that both he and Mom are at peace.”