Randall Lee “Randy” Harris went west on July 21, 2016, at the age of 55 years. Randy was born August 14, 1960, at Virginia Beach, Virginia, to Sarah and Owen (Pete) Harris. He was bitten with the aviation bug early on in life. He learned to fly model airplanes at age 12 and full size airplanes at age 25. Randy held many jobs including radio personality, night club DJ, writer, and electronics salesman, before heading to Greensboro, North Carolina, to enroll at North Carolina A & T University where he completed his degree in mechanical engineering while also performing in stage acting. He was married November 7, 1990, in Yuma, Arizona, to Linda Lee McDaniel. They had made their home in Owasso, Oklahoma, since March of 1996.
It was Randy’s passion for flying and performances bug that lead him to become one of the best and well respected Airshow pilot’s in the industry. Randy had over 20 years and 200 venues of experience on the air show circuit and performed in a number of large and small shows each year throughout North America.
Randy custom built his own airplanes, first an EAA Biplane and then the Skybolt 300 with which he wowed airshow audiences. Both airplanes were featured on the covers of Kitplanes magazine. The Skybolt has won several top awards at air shows in the United States and has been featured in numerous aviation magazines, posters, calendars, and advertising. Randy’s greatest thrill was to win a Champion Award at the 1994 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, International EAA Fly-in. The realization of a lifelong dream came true when he was asked to perform at the EAA Airventure in Oshkosh in 2011. His airshow company is called Bearfeat Aerobatics.
Randy worked as a flight test engineer with McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, California, flight testing new airliner designs, and retired from American Airlines in 2011. Randy was the General Manager of Aircraft Specialties Services, a small aerospace company serving general aviation located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Loving family members include his wife of over 26 years, Linda, their two cats, Scooter and Piper, an aunt and uncle, Robert and Kristi Noell, of Lynchburg, Virginia, niece, Sarah, and many close friends all across the country. He was preceded in death by his brother, Michael Owen Harris.
Funeral service will be held 4:00 p.m. Saturday, July 30, 2016, at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, 3624 North 74th East Avenue, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74115. In lieu of flowers, Randy wanted to help future aviators find the same passion he found and asked that any donations be made to the EAA Young Eagles Program at https://www.eaa.org/eaa/apps/donations/donationform. The Young Eagles program has dedicated nearly 25 years to giving youth ages 8-17 their first free ride in an airplane. It’s the only program of its kind, with the sole mission to introduce and inspire kids in the world of aviation. Arrangements and services were entrusted to Mowery Funeral Service of Owasso.
www.moweryfs.com
