Former KAOEF Trustee Gordon H. “Stumpy” Harris of Orlando, Florida, passed away as a result of respiratory failure on April 1, 2021. He was 82.
Born on May 7, 1938, Stumpy’s reputation as a skilled attorney and litigator was nationally known. Specializing in eminent domain cases, he ultimately argued, and won, before the United States Supreme Court.
He was a dedicated KA and proud “Bull Gator” supporting both the KAOEF and the University of Florida, especially the Athletic Department. Many knew him by the “fleet” of Gator vehicles he maintained in Gator blue and orange.
As a KA, he served as William B. Crawford Province Commander (1993–1997) and as a member of the KAOEF Board of Trustees for many years. He was the KAOEF Leadership Lecturer in 1998. As a Trustee, he advised the Order and Foundation in 2013–2014 during efforts to sell the then headquarters at the former Rockbridge County Jail and adjacent properties in Lexington under threat of taking by eminent domain from the county. That sale, of course, paved the way for the Foundation to purchase Mulberry Hill. He hosted many Executive Council meetings at his vacation home in Cocoa Beach, Florida. He was a member of the Crawford Court of Honor and a recipient of the Knight Commander’s Accolade, awarded by then Knight Commander, Ben W. Satcher, Jr., in 2005 at the Beta Zeta Chapter Centennial Celebration. He was a member of the Loyal Order, Forever KA, the Crimson & Gold Society, and the 1865 Trust. He will be missed.
He is survived by his wife, Ruthie, and his children, Rutledge, Sarah, and Bruce Harris (Beta Zeta–Florida ’87). You may make a contribution in Stumpy’s memory to the KAOEF at www.KAOEF.org/donate. Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.
