rved as an Instructor. He retired from the military as a Sergeant First Class in 2011 after 32 plus years of service. He served in Vietnam, Korea, and in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm. He received numerous medals, including the Meritorious Service Medal, of which he was most proud. He received an Associate's Degree in law enforcement from Clinton Community College. He was a 1981 graduate of St. Ambrose University with a double major in History and Sociology. He also earned a Teaching Certificate at St. Ambrose. Phil was a jack of many trades. He worked for the Scott County Sheriff's Department, Chicago Northwestern Railroad in the car shops, was a truck driver, and a substitute teacher, retiring in 2015 as a locomotive engineer at the Union Pacific Railroad. He also owned The Inn tavern at one time. He married Julie Bickert on January 24, 1996 in Clinton.
Phil was a member of the American Legion, Clinton and Camanche VFW, Clinton AMVETS, and the 44th Engineers Battalion Association. He enjoyed stock car races, NASCAR, restoring classic cars, golfing, genealogy, his daily morning coffee club at Hardees, feeding all his critters in the back yard, batting those "baby blues" at all the girls, and rooting for the Chicago Bears.
He is survived by his wife: Julie of Clinton; his children: Monica (Brian) Lindmark of Mesa, Arizona, Jennifer Robb of Iowa City, Iowa, and Nathan (Elle) Barrows of Chicago, Illinois; step children: David Petersen of Clinton, Joanna (Jim) Turner of Highlandville, Missouri, Jessica Milder of Clinton, 7 grandchildren; his sister: Patricia Harris of Clinton, numerous cousins in Alabama, and many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents and four brothers.
Memorials may be made to the MDS Foundation or the American Cancer Society.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Byron "Phil" Harris Jr please visit our Sympathy Store.
To read the full obituary, please click here: http://www.snellzornig.com/obituaries/Byron-Phil-Harris/