William (Bill) Robert Harris, a beloved father, grandfather, and friend, passed away on October 14, 2026 surrounded by his children. He began and ended his long life – 2 weeks shy of 98 years old – in Grand Junction Colorado, where he was born on November 1, 1928.

Bill grew up in Denver with parents Albert and Mildred and siblings Al and Jackie. He graduated from North Denver High School went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from the University of Denver. He served in the Korean War as an Intelligence Sargent for the US Army, completing 2 years of active service and 6 years in the reserves.

After his time in the Army, Bill went on to work in the aerospace industry at Ball Aerospace. He worked on numerous defense contracts, including classified, top-secret programs known as “black programs,” for which he held security clearance.

Bill met his wife, Geraldine (Geri) Brancato, on a blind date. They fell in love, married, and raised their four children in Arvada. After Bill retired, they moved back to Grand Junction for the remainder of their 60 years together.

Bill was always excited to talk about two of his greatest passions: classic cars and real estate. He and Geri traveled throughout Europe and Asia. In retirement, Bill volunteered with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office.

Bill was preceded in death by his daughter, Wendy, in 2016 and his wife, Geri, in 2020. He is survived by sons, Pete, Rick, and John, and their spouses Holly, Gwen, and Susan; son-in-law John; and grandchildren Katie, Andrew, Petra, Lydia, and Jamie.

Bill did not wish to have a memorial service. The inurnment will occur on November 5th at 1pm at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Grand Junction.