Walter Wesley Harrison was born to the union of Walter Ernest Harrison Jr. and Elizabeth Dillard on July 17, 1956. He was the oldest of two children. To family and friends, he was affectionately known as “Wes.”
Wes was a gifted athlete, he played football for only a season because he didn’t like the late hits. While at Maple Heights High School, he ran track and broke many records. He also was the star of the Junior Varsity Basketball team for one year and later played on the Varsity team until 1975.
Wes enjoyed listening to jazz. Wes’ love for cars led him at the age of sixteen to rebuild the engine of his 1970 Cutlass 442. He affectionately named his car “Midnight Express.” Later he owned “Sandy” a beautiful iridescent 1975 Corvette. Along with his friends, he was a member of the Corvette Conspiracy Club.
He was employed at Radiomobile where he worked with Ron Heitman (Co-producer) of Auto-Rama. Wes also worked on the Mary Hartman double-faced truck and the rocket car.
Wes was a gifted artist. He drew pictures for his sister’s school projects. After leaving Maple Heights High School, his skills landed him a job being an artist at Maple during Black History Month.
Wes relocated to Tennessee for fourteen years; however, he realized that there was no place like home. Upon his return to Ohio, he found another trade and started rehabbing houses. Later, he assisted his sister in the care of their mother.
He was excited when he recently met his granddaughter Carsen. He leaves to cherish his memory: daughter, Sydney Humphrey; sister, the Rev. D’Lynn Harrison; granddaughter, Carsen; aunts, Sara L. Dillard and Diane C. Smith; brother by choice, Gregory E. Curry; sister by choice, Carolyn Diane Fenderson; and a host of other relatives and many friends.
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