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IN LOVING MEMORY OF Cy Harris
Cy
Harris
April 24, 1924 – November 21, 2019
Cy Harris' Obituary
Cy Harris, 95, of Union City passed away 5:15 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Sunday in the chapel of Edmaiston-Mosley Funeral Home. The Rev. Glenn Watts will officiate. Burial will follow in Obion County Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Saturday and from noon until the hour of services Sunday at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Steve Walker, Jaime Murphy, Ryan Brown, Robert Pruett, John Warner, Pete Codinha and Steve Huson.
Honorary pallbearers will be elders of the Union City Cumberland Presbyterian Church and Wilford Denton.
Memorial contributions may take the form of donations to: Union City Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 631 East Church St., Union City, TN 38261.
He was born April 24, 1924, in Postville, Iowa, son of the late Cyrus Harris and the late Esther (LaVelle) Reiser. He married Etta Blanche (Kendall) Harris Oct. 14, 1948. She preceded him in death Sept. 12, 2016.
He retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Master Chief Musician (E9) after 29 years of service. He served in North Africa during World War II and later in California and Hawaii before joining the at the U.S. Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Md., where he was principal tuba.
He came from a long line of musicians and bandsmen and was an All-State musician before he joined the Navy. He had many stories about performing for notable events and notable individuals.
He performed at many professional sporting events, the annual Army-Navy football game, for Midshipmen while they marched to class and for weekly dress parades in the fall and spring. He played in Presidential Inauguration parades of U.S. Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.
He also performed at dedication ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and Annapolis, many events at the White House and for visiting foreign dignitaries.
He moved to Obion County in 1970 and began teaching music to junior high students in the Obion County School System, founding the Obion County Primary School Band program. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin in music education, Summa Cum Laude. After his retirement from the Navy, he continued performing by joining the Dyersburg Symphony.
He was a member of Union City Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he had served as an elder. He was an avid fan of Obion County Central High School basketball for 46 years.
He is survived by three daughters, Becky Brown of Houston, Cynthia Murphy (Jim) of Glen Ellyn, Ill., and Donna Walker (Steve) of Union City; six grandchildren, Ryan Brown (Lynette) of Houston, retired Cmdr. Jaime Murphy (Katie) of Wheaton, Ill., Cmdr. Micah Murphy (Sarah) of Yokosuka, Japan, Amanda Huson (Steve) of St. Charles, Ill., Autumn Codinha (Pete) of Glen Ellyn, and Erica Walker of Memphis; 14 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Nancy Reiser of Prairie-du-Chien, Wisc., and Jean Hampton of Bloomington, Wisc.; and one brother, Don Ritchie of Prairie-du-Chien.
He was also preceded in death by one brother, Earl Reiser.
Edmaiston Mosley Funeral Home
731-885-1033
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Cy Harris, please visit our flower store.
Funeral Services for Cy Harris
Funeral Service
November
24
Edmaiston Mosley Funeral Home
Starts at 2:00 pm
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