In Memoriam: Joseph Fontaine Harris Jr.

It is with great sadness that the College Park/Sandy Spring Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. shares the passing of our beloved Brother Joseph Fontaine Harris, Jr. Brother Harris was a 1949 initiate of the Epsilon Chapter at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Brother Harris was a charter member of the Silver Spring (MD) Alumni Chapter and served as the Chartering Polemarch in 1972 and most recently a charter member of the College Park/Sandy Spring (MD) Alumni Chapter where he served as the Chartering Vice Polemarch.

At the age of 18 Brother Harris was drafted into the U.S. Army and served until he was honorably discharged where upon he received a scholarship to play football at Lincoln. He played for 4 years on the football and baseball teams excelling on the gridiron where he received numerous accolades.   After earning his B.A degree in 1951, he worked for his father for several years at the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. He then left the private sector to become an employee of the U.S. Government and worked for the Department of Treasury where he started as a Revenue Officer. After serving 24 years in Treasury, Brother Harris took a position with the Department of Energy and served as the Deputy Director of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts Office until his retirement in 1984. Soon after retiring, Brother Harris obtained his real estate license and became an active real estate agent for several years and then fully retired.

Brother Harris entered the Chapter Invisible on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.  He leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife, Silhouette Carol Harris, two sons Joseph Harris, III, Brother David Harris, Sr. (Kimberly), his grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services for Brother Harris, including the Kappa Burial Ceremony, were held Thursday, June 13th at the Colesville United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, MD. Brother Harris will be interned at Arlington National Cemetery.   In lieu of flowers the family has asked that charitable donations be made in Brother Harris' name to the Kappa Community Development Foundation, P.O. Box 838, College Park Maryland 20741.