Parker Harrison, Jr., 90, formerly of Acton, Sarasota and Lincoln died peacefully on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at the Life Care Center of Acton. He was the beloved husband of Eleanor (Haaland) Harrison who died in 2017.
Born in Watertown, New York on January 11, 1929, he was the son of the late Parker Harrison, Sr. and Mildred (Williams) Harrison of Weston.
Mr. Harrison was a graduate of Harvard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Up until his retirement, Parker worked as an insurance broker in risk management.
Mr. Harrison had a lifelong love and extensive knowledge of both classical and jazz music. He passed along his love of music to his family and was a frequent visitor with Eleanor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood. Singing in choirs and barbershop quartets further satisfied his passion for music. In his early retirement, he volunteered for a classical radio station as a program director, carefully selecting the music each week from the extensive archive in his head.
Parker also loved the Boston area sports teams, and his beloved Harvard Crimson squads. Whatever the season, he was on top of the scores and rosters and loved watching or listening to the games, and he seldom missed the annual Harvard – Yale football matchup at the Stadium. For Parker, a “good” day meant the radio had one team playing, the television another, the stereo blasting his favorite composer of the day and Sports Illustrated or The Boston Globe in hand while keeping a running commentary going on both games and the news for all to hear. A knowledgeable and critical student of sports, history and politics, he always had abundant astute comments to make. He passed on this love of sports and disposition for critical thinking to his children as well.
Parker’s personal sport of choice was tennis, which he rediscovered after getting his eldest son hooked on the game. He never tired of frustrating that son on the court with his devilish drop shots and uncanny ability to keep that little white ball in play.
He is survived by two sons, Parker Harrison, III of Manchester, MA and Rob Harrison and his wife Mary of Sebastopol, California, his daughter Carole Bernstein of Medway, his grandchildren Taylor and his wife Cassidy, Derrek and his wife Laura, Wesley and his wife Sarah, Alyssa, and Emily, and his great-grandson, Benjamin Harrison.
His funeral services will be private at the request of his family.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to Care Dimensions, 75 Sylvan St., Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923. Care Dimensions is the hospice which provided care for both Parker and Eleanor in their final weeks and days at Life Care Center of Acton.