2002

WEEK OF ~ OCJ 2\_, ~ ':

Educator Shelby Harris dead at 64 Retired East Central Community College mathematics instructor Dr. Shelby L. Harris has died of a massive heart attack. He was 64. "He had been at East Central for about 36 vears," said his sister, Helen Gibbs. "He was so involved in bringing Phi Theta Kappa to the college there. He and Ann Burkes throughout the whole time were involved in that. Harris was a graduate of Union High School. East ..

"He was very committed to it. I was laughing the other day ~1at that was the rea– son he never got married. He didn't have time for a wife and family. You know, you can't be that committed if you have got other things to tie you down." Harris was named Alumnus of the Year at East Central in 1999. He served as an advi– sor for the Scholars Bowl team at the college from 1985 to 1995 and was the college's Outstanding Academic [nstructor in 1983. Harris was active in the Decatur Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club. He was honored by the chamber as Man of the Year in 1988. ·

Central Junior College and the University of Southern ~ississippi. He later attained his doctorate degree after attending classes at Tulane, Florida State a n d Mississippi State. -

Dr. Shelby Harris

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week. "He never got com– pletely eas) from the pain. They (hospital officials) did a heart ca therization and he had three arteries stopped up. They put a stint in and the arterv that was func– tioning, -quit. When he went into a code situation, they never did get him back. "It was the most shock– ing thing that ever hap– pened to me. I thought that we would live to be old folks here on the farm." A memorial scholarship has been established at East

Central in Harris' honor. Donations can be made to the Shelby L. Harris schol– arship fund or to the East Central Foundation. "Flowers are here today and gone tomorrow. It is really better to put your money in a worthwhile cause," said Gibbs. Memorial services were held for Harris last Thursday at Stephens Funeral Home in the chapel. Rev. Billy Ray Gibbs and Rev. Len Wedgeworth officiated.

Harris was also a world- wide traveler. "I think he said that there were two countries that he had not been in," said Helen. "He and Carol Vickers always went somewhere every Thanksgiving. In fact, they were looking forward to going to England, Ireland and Wales on the third of June." Gibbs said her brother began experiencing pain in his chest sometime last

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