Ed Harris

Pretty much had a fairy-tale life--mostly dumb luck--really do not deserve it...but gladly accept it! (except for prostate cancer that was removed--ugh)

After high school I attended BYU majoring in engineering, served a mission in Chicago (not sure what happened to my dream of serving in Samoa) then finished up my BS at USU. Purchased the coal yard across the street from my house (as some of you know we lived on the wrong side of the tracks) and added a backhoe business to help put me through college. Sold the coal and backhoe business and purchased Cache Honda in 1975. Owned that business for 11 years and completed my MBA during that time. The seasonal business was really fun with all the toys, but very stressful. My wife (I married late at age 25 to Marjorie Mays, from North Logan) was looking in the Sunday Parade Magazine at an article showing the stress level of professions, and college professor was the lowest stress job on the list. So I sold Cache Honda to Cache Yamaha, and accepted a professor position in 1987 at the College of Eastern Utah in Price, UT. Then moved to Cedar City in 1989 to teach at Southern Utah University (SUU). Went on to earn my Ph.D. while on sabbatical from SUU. Marj is a RN so we started Alert Medical & Oxygen Supply in St. George and Cedar City. Sold the business and accepted a position at a University in Kentucky in 2001. I would still be there (it was by far my favorite place to live on this planet) but Marj missed our children and grandchildren who all lived in Utah--so she said she was moving back, and if I wanted to follow that would be nice, if not she would see me with visits in the summer, and Christmas...(smile). Living in Kentucky was also the most spiritually rewarding time of my entire life, for me even more than a mission, serving as Bishop and on the high council (yes, they were really desperate). So to stay married, I accepted a position at WSU in 2005 and also served as department chair, while living in Mt. Green, UT. I was able to teach 3 times in China with an exchange University--great Adventure!

Mostly pretty dull, but that is about it--oh--except since I was not able to live in Samoa, I was able to fulfill one of my all time wiz bang favorite life-time dreams starting in 1979 of being a pilot and later a part-time flight instructor and owning my own planes (sweet--still have 1)--which was probably one reason our second son became an airline pilot. Wow, we can fly almost anywhere for free--did I mention every father and mother needs to have at least one son or daughter as an airline pilot (love the benefits)! So we have visited most parts of the world over the years, and not finished yet. I am not sure about you, but one of my lifetime goals is now fulfilled "retirement..." Moved to St George for retirement in 2016.

Jackie White was my US History teacher my junior year. When grades came out the first term she met with each student to go over their scores and grade. Up until that time I was just slim, dumb and happy to have A's, B's, and C's. In our meeting she explained that I had earned a B+ (wonderful by my standards) then went on to lecture me that she expected nothing less than an A next term. She stated that "you do not have a B bone in your body" (I remember thinking that she was right, they were all C and D bones). However, with her encouragement I went on to compete with the debate team that she coached, and needless to say her influence was a "life changing experience." A huge amount of credit is hers for motivating me to complete a B.S., MBA, and then a Ph.D. in Computer Information Systems. It was truly a life-changing event that has stayed with me all these years. I guess we never know how many lives we touch!