Benny L. "Ben" Harris

Benny L. Harris, 85, died on Monday, April 6, 2020 at the Houston Medical Center.
He died from complications of dementia. Private (Invitation Only) burial will be at Magnolia Park Cemetery. The family can be contacted at his home.

Mr. Harris is survived by his wife, June of Warner Robins; daughter, Lori Harris Pendley of Madison, Alabama; grandson, Robert Pendley of Birmingham, Alabama; grandson, Rhett Pendley and wife, Baylee of Bradenton, Florida; sister, Annette Hall and husband, David of Warner Robins; brother-in-law, Charles Harrison and wife, Carolyn of Grovania; sisters-in-law, Freda Harrison Hoff and husband, Larry of Macon; and Florence Harrison Brown of Honolulu, Hawaii; as well as several nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his mother, Lois Carden Harris; father, Jesse C. Harris; and sister, Kathryn Harris Harvester Lane.

Mr. Harris was born in Griffin, GA, on August 24, 1934. He spent his early childhood in Akron, Ohio, moved to Georgia in the eighth grade, and graduated from Warner Robins High School in 1952. He was a decorated veteran drafted in the U.S. Army and trained as a combat Infantryman. After being commissioned a Captain in the Air Force, he remained in the service of his country for over nine years serving during the Vietnam War. He left the service after the Tet Offensive in December 1969 and continued his education under the GI Bill while being employed full time in Federal Civil Service.

He graduated from the University of Georgia Executive Development program receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree of Logistics Management Science from the Georgia College School of Business. He retired in 1990 from a combined military and civil service career of over thirty years of service. After retiring, Mr. Harris was an adjunct classroom instructor at Fort Valley State University. He later worked for several defense contractors: The Analytical Sciences Corp, ARINC Research Corp, BDM Federal, Sverdrup Technology; and for the last 12 years of his professional career, he was the Warner Robins Manager of WesTest Engineering Corporation, headquartered in Farmington, Utah.

Ben was a member of the University of Georgia Alumni Association and the UGA Bulldog Club. He was an avid football fan and attended football games in Athens and throughout the Southeastern Conference during his lifetime; he supported many other UGA functions as well. He loved boating and water skiing; he was a good skier himself and had unending patience in teaching friends and family to ski. He was a keen quail hunter; quail hunting and training bird dogs were truly his passion. He lived life to the fullest, a life of determination and generosity, helping many less fortunate persons along the way.

McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.