James Lamar Harris

Like most people of his age, James Lamar Harris was born not in a hospital, but at home, in a house on Floyd Street, in Covington on November 10, 1933. Jim was the fourth of five children born to Erastus and Fanny Harris. 

Jim enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 17. He would tell you that joining the military was an experience that shaped him for the rest of his life. He served as a cartographer, advancing to the rank of Staff Sergeant. While stationed in Topeka, KS, Jim met Cecilia Cordel at a USO dance, and they were soon married.

Upon being honorably discharged, Jim and Cecilia moved to Atlanta, and Jim attended night school at the Southern Institute of Technology, now Georgia Tech. Jim held several jobs before joining the federal government, including produce clerk, short order cook, shipping clerk, and custom cabinet maker. After joining the government services administration, he used skills learned in the Air Force to work his way up from mail clerk to draftsman to architect technician to construction review. He designed or oversaw the remodeling of federal government buildings and courthouses throughout the southeast. Jim retired in 1992 after 34 years of federal service.

Inspired by Cecilia’s faith, Jim converted to Catholicism. The Church has been an important part of his life ever since. He and Cecilia were founding members of St. Augustine Parish in Covington. He used his skills to draw the blueprints for both the original church and the rectory as well as overseeing the construction.

In addition, Jim drew the plans and oversaw construction of the home on Mason Drive that his children grew up in, as well as a cabin on Lake Jackson and the Covington Elks Lodge. Jim loved using his hands and was always trying to improve on or invent some new gadget to make life easier. He was a perfectionist to the core, with every tool in its place and every joint exactly square.

During their 46-year marriage, Jim and Cecilia were blessed with five girls and one boy. The family has grown to include 5 sons-in-law, 23 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren.

After Cecilia passed on in 2000, Jim met Margaret at an Elks Club Dance in 2001 and they married nearly a year later. With their marriage, the family grew by one daughter, two grandsons and a great-grandson.

Jim and Margaret shared a love of the outdoors and worked together daily to make their yard an oasis of comfort and beauty. During their 22 years together, they planted a large garden each year, storing the vegetables and making homemade soup for the winter, sharing with their children and grandchildren. They traveled often, visiting family in places such as Alaska, Germany, and Virginia, taking bus tours in New England, and enjoyed cruises. They tried their luck in casinos from Las Vegas to Cherokee to the Dominican Republic.

Jim was a member of the Covington Elks Lodge for over 40 years and served in many roles including Exalted Ruler, chaplain, secretary, and building committee. Jim always loved the beach and fishing. He enjoyed sports and played on a men's softball team for many years. He lived through the good, the bad, and the ugly with the Braves, and endured the constant friendly razzing of friends and family about his faithful support of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Of course, his true sports love was golf. He liked to brag when he scored less than his age, which got progressively easier into his nineties! 

Jim’s was a life well-lived. A lover of corny jokes, one of his favorites was “Come here for a second…ok, a second’s up, you can go now.” His second is up but his legacy remains.

A Funeral service for Jim will be held Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 2:00 P.M., at St. Augustine's Catholic Church, 11524 Highway 278, in Covington, with interment following in Covington City Cemetery. Friends are invited to visit with the family Monday, April 7, from 5:00 - 8:00 P.M., at Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, 1215 Access Road, in Covington. In lieu of flowers please donate to a charity of your choosing in memory of Jim.