LUFKIN, TX (KTRE) -
"Shock, what do you say when you lose
someone you've known for thirty years," said Wes Suiter, Angelina County Judge.
This
was the emotion by many this morning after being notified that County
Commissioner Rick Harrison had died at a Houston hospital on Tuesday after
fighting multiple health issues this year.
Harrison who was 56 served a commissioner
of precinct one for the past 12 years. Before that, he was with the Lufkin Police
Department for more than 23 years.
Fellow Angelina County Commissioners saw Harrison
first hand and described him as a friend and a prime example of what a
commissioner should be.
"Anybody
that knew him was a friend," said Suiter.
"I'm going to miss rick because he
was very important to me, a lot of thing's if I didn't know rick would find out
for me," said fellow commissioner Kenneth Timmons.
"Your primary responsibility is the
people but if you're not representing the people your not doing your job, and
Rick did that," said fellow commissioner Scott Cooper.
Through all his years of service, Harrison
has impacted many lives leaving behind a legacy.
"He served with the police department for
over 23 years and with the county commissioner for twelve. So I think his
legacy to his county and citizens and family is his public service," said
Lufkin Chief of Police Scott Marcotte.
Suiter
will now have to appoint someone to fill Harrison's seat but says it will be
extremely hard to do.
"The position can be filled but it is
going to be hard to replace rick Harrison," said Suiter.
Harrison
will have a public funeral will be on Saturday at 2p.m. at Kelty's First
Baptist Church in Lufkin.
Visitation will be Friday night from 6 to 8
p.m. at Carroway's Funeral home in Lufkin.
Copyright 2012 KTRE. All rights reserved.
Source: Angelina County
