Alton Tyrone (Ty) Harrison, born to Alton LeRoy (Babe) & LaRose (Smith) Harrison, passed away peacefully Saturday, June 3rd, 2017, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Judy (Gunderson) Harrison, sister Marjean (Richard) Nielson, sons Todd (Susan), Greg (Nicole) & Brandon (Amanda), step-sons Juan (Candi) Arce-Larreta & Jorge (Ginger) Arce-Larreta, nephew Marc LeRoy Halliday, niece Andrea (Halliday) Doman & 16 grandchildren.
Ty was born in Murray, Utah and raised in the community formerly known as Crescent, Utah. Growing up on the family farm, his grandmother, Sarah Lovina Harrison, instilled in him a love of plants and nature. This propelled him to a long and distinguished career, teaching in colleges & universities around the country, most recently as professor and professor emeritus at Westminster College of Salt Lake City, Utah. Ty graduated from Jordan High School and went on to earn a B.S. in Botany at the University of Utah, an M.S. in Botany at UCLA, and a Ph.D. in Biology at Stanford University. Although mechanically & technologically challenged at times, his love of learning was infectious, and there are many who recall immersive learning experiences with him, in the classrooms of academia, the wild, & the urban.
Many communities are reaping the benefits of Ty’s foresight and efforts, to preserve and restore natural habitat and open space nearby, and within their borders. They will continue to benefit for generations to come.
Ty loved music, art & irises, but above all, he blessed us by imparting his insight into the sanctity, majesty, grandeur, and wonder of life on our planet, and the beauty that is worth our while to defend.
We would like to sincerely express our gratitude to the many compassionate health care workers who have provided time, guidance and comfort to Ty and his family these last several months. God bless you all!
Services will be held Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 12:00 pm at Goff Mortuary, 8090 South State St., Midvale, Utah, with a viewing one hour prior to the services. A viewing will also be held Wednesday, June 7 from 6pm-8pm at the same location. Interment at Crescent Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to “The Ty Harrison Endowment for the Environmental Center” at Westminster College.
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” –John Muir
