Larry Lynn Harrison

Larry L. Harrison

1936 ~ 2025

La Grande, Oregon

Larry L. Harrison, 88, of La Grande, Oregon died peacefully on the evening of March 14, 2025, in Highland, Utah. He was with family when he died.

Larry was born outside of Union, Oregon on May 17, 1936, to parents Albert and Alta Harrison. Larry was the second of three boys born to Albert and Alta. Albert and Alta divorced in 1938, and Alta remarried John (“Jack”) Ryan. Larry gained two more siblings, Mary Lou and Bill Ryan, from his mother’s second marriage.

Larry spent his youth living and working on the family’s ranch in Wolf Creek, Oregon, and graduated from North Powder High School in May 1953. He worked in the Powder Valley area after graduation and then attended one year at Eastern Oregon College (now University) before being drafted to the US Army in 1959. Larry achieved the rank of Army Specialist 4, and was stationed at Fort Myers in Arlington, Virginia. He served in the 1st Battle Group, 3rd Infantry (aka: "The Old Guard") at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC. His last official duty before being discharged in Feb 1961 was in the Honor Guard for President John F. Kenney’s inauguration.

After discharge, Larry returned home to northeast Oregon and began working with the Oregon Highway Department. He then applied to and was hired as a Trooper with the Oregon State Police in Sept 1963.  He was initially stationed in Arlington, Oregon. In Oct 1967, OSP transferred Larry to the La Grande Patrol Office, where worked until his retirement from OSP in Sept 1988.

Larry married Anne Jamison in Oct 1963, and they had two daughters, Julie and Lisa.  Larry and Anne divorced in 1979, and Larry remarried to Phyllis Denny in Aug 1980.  Larry and Phyllis remained married until his death, a total of almost 45 years.

With Larry’s second marriage, his family grew exponentially with the joining of their respective children: his two daughters and Phyllis’ five children. Over the years, Larry was very proud to be “Papa” to the numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren that would later join the family. 

Many in the La Grande and Union County area knew Larry as a good-natured soul, always with a genuine smile and friendly outlook on life.  Larry enjoyed the outdoors, including fishing, hunting, working in his yard/garden, woodworking, trap shooting at the trap clubs in the northeast Oregon area, traveling the US to spend time with family, and of course being a “Papa”.

Larry is survived by his wife, Phyllis Harrison, daughter Julie Harrison, grandson Connor Harrison Gilmore, stepchildren Karen Denny Greene, Jeff Denny, Scott Denny, David Denny, Sandy Denny Feik and their respective spouses, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his brother Veryl Harrison, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death are his daughter Lisa Harrison-Gilmore, both his parents, Albert Harrison and Alta Ryan, his brothers Darwin and William (Bill), and sister Mary Lou.

Memorial services for Larry will be held in La Grande on Sat, June 21, 2025, at 1:00 PM at the Union County Fairgrounds Mt Emily Building.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks to please consider a donation to:

Oregon State Police Foundation

c/o Danny Bisgaard, Treasurer

1129 Cayuse Circle SE

Salem, OR 97301

OSP Fish & Wildlife K-9 Conservation Team

https://myowf.org/osp-conservation-k9-team

LaGrande Gun Club - Highschool Trap Club

c/o Katie Dippold, Treasurer

PO Box 236
La Grande, OR 97850

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Larry Lynn Harrison, please visit our floral store.