Gary Melvin Harris
November 25th, 1944 – April 11th, 2025
Gary Melvin Harris was born to Melvin and Maxine Harris in Canton, South Dakota. Gary attended the Dayton Country School near Harrisburg. He graduated from Harrisburg High School. Gary took college classes at Augustana and SDSU but graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of South Dakota. Gary farmed with his father and later, on his own, on the family farm. He was very intelligent and had an entrepreneurial spirit. After completing his master’s degree in counseling, he started a substance abuse counseling agency named Counseling Resources in 1992. His wife Sue later joined him in running that business. That same year, Gary and Sue were married at Sue’s sister’s house in Sioux Falls.
Over the years, Gary had many recreational interests. Gary achieved a brown belt in Taekwondo. He got involved in skydiving in his early thirties, making many jumps into various community events throughout the region with his skydiving buddies including a best friend, Bob Roach. Gary and Bob canoed down the Missouri River from Sioux Falls to St. Louis. This was quite the adventure! He enjoyed camping and canoeing in Northern Minnesota with his uncle Gene and family. They would even camp in the winter in the Northern boundary waters of Minnesota. Gary loved traveling to the Black Hills to camp and climb Harney Peak. He loved the beauty of the Hills. He enjoyed riding on his Harley motorcycle and was a member of a biker club named SF&G where he spent time with old friends and met many new ones.
Gary was a quiet person with a busy mind, always thinking about the next project on his list. He created some beautiful stained-glass pieces. He also purchased a number of beautiful stained-glass windows that he incorporated into the home he built. Gary’s proudest achievement was renovating the family barn into a beautiful home with the help of his uncle, Gene. This project took twenty years because Gary was working full-time. In the process of building, Gary and Gene deconstructed two barns near Alcester, SD to supply them with free barn wood.
Gary is survived by his wife Susanne and his son Spencer (Harrisburg, South Dakota); son Shane Harris (Florida); sister Linda Gillespie (Bailey, Colorado); sister JoAnne (Bert Jr.) Vanderwoude (Sioux Falls); two nephews Barry Gillespie (Bailey, Colorado) and Andy (Kelly) Vanderwoude (Edina, MN), one niece Amy (Mike) Elliot (Lake Madison); three grandchildren Brittany, Morgaine (Pennsylvania); and Bryce (Kansas); and five great-grandsons. He had a very close relationship with his uncle Gene Anderson. He is preceded in death by a son Julian Paul, his father Melvin, his mother Maxine, a nephew Christopher Gillespie, a great-granddaughter Kenna Harris, and an adopted brother/cousin Robbie Harris.
Gary was a very sentimental person, especially in his love for animals. He had many beloved pets over the years growing up, and then in adulthood – doggies Lucy and Ribsy, Lexi and Bruno, and many feral cats that he befriended and loved. He is survived by his buddy, Ernie the cat.
A Visitation will take place 5-7 PM, Thursday, April 17, 2025 at Anderson-Jones-Corcoran Funeral Chapel, Harrisburg, with the Funeral Service at 6 PM.