Jerrold Cranston Harrison

Jerrold "Jerry" C. Harrison, age 85, died peacefully at home, Friday, December 21, 2018.

He leaves his son, Timothy Harrison and wife Marsha Gaillour; son Royal Harrison and wife Yvette; grandsons Cameron, Ryan, and Derek; granddaughters Kira and Aliya, and great-grandchildren Aria, Ryker, and Johnny.

He was preceded in death by his spouse, Yasuyo (Susie) Shimaya Harrison in 1994.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska January 25, 1933.  Jerry often reminisced of his summer times spent with his grandmother as they farmed and played together.  Jerry had a great love for music which began early in life when he was invited to sing in local choirs.  He had a passion for dancing and said, “People would clear the floor when he and his partners would dance!”  He was an avid reader, something he and his mother Wilma Mae, enjoyed doing together from an early age.  Throughout his life he prided himself in being able to quickly solve the morning paper’s crossword puzzles.  He enjoyed playing and watching sports and was quite the badminton and table tennis player.

Most of his early life was spent in Nebraska, Oklahoma, and California. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for more than 28 years. He trained in the areas of communication, executive administration, and leadership.  Early on, he traveled all over the United States and Asia, including Japan.   While on assignment to Japan, he developed a great appreciation for the Japanese people and their culture.  During his second tour in Japan, he met the “love of his life”, Yasuyo (Susie) Shimaya and married her in December of 1956 at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

After marriage, Jerry and his young bride: Sue moved on assignment to San Antonio Texas, where their two sons, Timothy (Tim) and Royal were born.    During the next 20+ years, Jerry and his family would travel to Dayton Ohio, Albuquerque New Mexico, Ramstein Germany and Okinawa Japan.  They especially enjoyed their time in Okinawa, when their sons were younger and felt that Albuquerque was there home.

At the pinnacle of his career, Jerry achieved the United States Air Force rank of Senior Master Sergeant, where he served as an executive administrator for CINC USAFE, the Air Force command organization overseeing all of Europe.  He often mentioned, “he had spent one extra year in Germany, weathering the rain”, so he could return to Albuquerque, where he retired.

After retiring from the USAF he took on a second career with the City of Albuquerque Police Department as an administrator and small arms instructor.  He particularly enjoyed teaching despite the oftentimes early-cold morning hours.   Shortly before retiring from his second career, Jerry lost “the love of his life, Sue” to cancer.

After Sue’s passing, Jerry found solace in taking walks in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains with the support of his daughter in law Yvette, where he enjoyed greeting the early morning sunrises in the company of roadrunners, coyotes, and other Albuquerque flora and fauna.  This was the highlight of his day for the next 20 years without his Susie.

In the last six years of Jerry’s life he suffered from Kidney Disease which necessitated him having dialysis treatments.  During this time, he commented, over and over again, how grateful he was for the support he had received from his dialysis centers (DCI and Liberty), his personal care givers (Patricia Cervantes, Rosa Pena, and Tobden Lhamdo), as well as his sons and daughters in law, with whom he lived.   The family would also like to thank Alliance Home Health Care and Hospice care for their caring support of Jerry.

Jerry lived a full life.  He leaves a legacy of continuous generosity to his family, a deep love of animals and nature, and an appreciation of music, and especially the simple things in life.

A private service for family members was held on December 21, 2018.

His internment will be held on January 18, 2019, 2:15 pm at the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers and donations, please make donations to the Animal Humane Society at  www.animalhumanenm.org

FRENCH – Westside

9300 Golf Course Rd NW

505-897-0300