Obituary of Louis E. Samuel Harris

Louis Edward Samuel Harris was gifted to this world on January 29, 1925, in Prince Edward County, Virginia; and, entered into eternal rest on July 5, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland.

Louis, affectionately nicknamed “Jerdan Lovelace” or “Luke” or “Lukems”, was the tenth of eleven children born to Phil Harris and Lucy Eanes-Harris. Louis attended the Broad Street School in Amelia, Virginia. In school, he met and courted the love of his life, Jessie, and there they wed on May 10, 1948—they just celebrated 71 years of matrimonial bliss! From this union, one beautiful and amazing baby girl was born, Gloria.

Louis and Jessie, together with Gloria, moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1954, and was gainfully employed at Bethlehem Steel at Sparrows Point as a janitorial engineer and at Gray’s Concrete and Pipe Company as a pipe finisher. Louis was gifted with his hands and loved gadgets. He was also a member of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Virginia and lent his time as a security guard at the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Southern Baptist Church, both in Baltimore, Maryland.

Louis loved being in social settings and he loved people. He was also an eternal jokester—he loved to play practical jokes. The family would play the game “who’s going to fall asleep first?” and the person who did, got the cold rag on their face. Every single time, Jessie would lose, then came the ice cold rag on her sleeping face to which she’d awake startled and reply, “Louis, leave me alone!” They were always together living, loving, laughing--they were the black “Bonnie & Clyde”!

Louis was a family man. He simply adored his family and loved playing with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was the kids’ personal school bus driver. He used to hide in the house and jump out of corners to scare Willie and would tickle TaVar until he balled over in laughter—a legacy that lives on in TaVar’s home today. Nate recalled how grandpop would roll up a Kleenex real tight (grandpop called it “The Twizzler”) and use it as a pointer to tickle anyone who would dare fell asleep in his presence—unfortunately, those antics got Nate in alotta trouble when he took that practical joke to school. The last time Roger cut grandpop’s hair, grandpop jokingly said, “Roger, you not gon hug me?” after Roger had hugged mom and grandmom. His son-in-law, Willie Sr. remembers “dad” not as a father-in-law, but as his father. Even in his final days, Louis affectionately expressed his love scribbling a note to Gloria, “You my baby”.

Louis loved God and always had his Bible near. He was a man of honor and integrity.

Louis was predeceased by his seven brothers, John Moses, Clifford, Thomas, William, Bubba, Vernon and Joseph, and his three sisters, Helen, Ida, and Elizabeth.

Left to cherish his memory is his beloved and devoted wife, Jessie; his loving and dearly devoted daughter, Gloria (Willie Sr.); brother-in-law, Jimmy; grandchildren Sheila, Willie Jr., TaVar Sr. (Nikia), William, Donald, Roger, and Nate; nieces Mattie, Nannie, Grace, Brenda, and Shirley; nephews Austin, Derrick, John, Louis, and Willie Tettie; eleven great grandchildren; one great- great grandchild; and, a host of other loved relatives and friends.