Charles Harrison

CHARLES HARRISON

Marion

Charles "Bob" Robert Harrison, 84, of Marion, passed away Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at Linn Manor Care Center in Marion. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the family with local arrangements.

Survivors include his wife, Ruth; two sons, Doug (Mary) Harrison of Mount Pleasant and Dave (Lynn) Harrison of Arvada, Colo.; two daughters, Connie (Bob) Boyer of Fairfield and Cindy (John) Naveira of Burbank, Calif.; stepson, Mike (Mary) Skaggs of Robins; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.

Bob was born Oct. 9, 1932, in Fairfield, Iowa, son of Charles Floyd and Mildred (Keller) Harrison. He married Sylvia Johnson on June 14, 1953, and then later divorced. He then married Ruth Skaggs on March 19, 1976. Bob graduated from Fairfield High School in 1950. He was a four-sport athlete at Parsons College, graduating in 1954. He was inducted into the Parsons College Wall of Honor in 2016. Bob was in the Iowa Army 34th Division Red Bull National Guard Band for 11 years. He and other band members founded the Fairfield Dixieland Band, a group of close friends, who played together for 40 years. In 2001, Bob and Ruth moved to Marion, where he played with the Dixie Notes in Marion.

He was a member of Marion American Legion Post 298, where he volunteered playing taps for many veteran burial services, which was his last call of duty. He was employed at Louden Mach. Co. in Fairfield as a sales manager before transferring to York, Pa., in 1984. Bob later worked for Airgas Inc. He was a member of Davenport Masonic Lodge 37 and the Fairfield Elks, where he was Past Exalted Ruler.

Bob will be remembered as always having a joke to share. He had a wonderful sense of humor, a quick wit and a great smile.

Bob's favorite pasttimes were playing golf with Ruth, hunting, woodworking and genealogy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Fairfield High School Band Program.

Please share a memory of Charles at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.