Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Friends Remember 'Old Man' Harrison of 'Pawn Stars'
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 6 years ago on
July 5, 2018

Share

LAS VEGAS — Video clips of reality TV figure Richard Harrison played in a Las Vegas funeral home where the patriarch of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop empire was remembered as a Navy veteran, husband, father and sometimes cranky character.

“He seemed like a really nice guy and kind of reminded me of my father.” — Las Vegas area resident Jack Leclair
One showed a “Pawn Stars” episode where he prepared to drive through an obstacle course.”Oh, shut up before you even go there. I am the best driver here,” Harrison told his son and colleagues before proceeding to knock down several traffic cones.The video also included testimonials from colleagues filmed after Harrison’s death.Family, friends and fans paid their last respects Sunday to Harrison, who was known to the reality TV world as “The Old Man,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
Pall bearers at Richard Harrison's funeral
Reality television personality Rick Harrison, left, serves as a pallbearer during the funeral service of his father, “Pawn Stars” patriarch, Richard Benjamin Harrison, known as “The Old Man,” at Palm Northwest Mortuary in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 1, 2018. (Richard Bria/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Harrison, 77, Dies After Fighting Parkinson’s

Harrison died June 25 after a fight with Parkinson’s disease. He was 77.
“He seemed like a really nice guy and kind of reminded me of my father,” Las Vegas area resident Jack Leclair said.
Leclair watched the show since its 2009 launch, he said, and visited the store on Las Vegas Boulevard but never met Harrison.

Served in the Navy For 20 Years

Harrison’s casket was draped during a private ceremony with an American flag to honor his 20 years of Navy service. A photo showed him with his wife of 58 years, JoAnne. He also is survived by sons Joseph, Rick and Chris Harrison, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Richard Harrison was born March 4, 1941, in Danville, Virginia. His father, a welder and carpenter, moved the family to Lexington, North Carolina, where Harrison spent most of his childhood.
In the Navy, he was transferred to San Diego in 1967, and rose to the rank of petty officer first class. He was discharged in the late 1970s and began helping his wife with her real estate business.

‘Pawn Stars’ Debuted in 2009

The family moved to Las Vegas in 1981, and Harrison relocated his business to its current Las Vegas Boulevard address in 1988.
In July 2009, “Pawn Stars” made its debut, featuring Harrison, his son Rick, grandson Corey and family friend Austin “Chumlee” Russell. It is set to begin filming its 16th season in September.
___
Information from: Las Vegas Review-Journal, http://www.lvrj.com

DON'T MISS

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

DON'T MISS

Santa Who? Bizarre Christmas Traditions Stealing the Holiday Spotlight

DON'T MISS

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

DON'T MISS

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

DON'T MISS

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

DON'T MISS

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

DON'T MISS

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

DON'T MISS

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

DON'T MISS

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

DON'T MISS

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

UP NEXT

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

UP NEXT

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

UP NEXT

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

UP NEXT

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

UP NEXT

Meet Amy Allen, the Songwriter Behind the Music Stuck in Your Head

UP NEXT

All Netflix Wants for Christmas Is No Streaming Problems for Its First NFL Games

UP NEXT

US Deportations Surge to Highest Level in a Decade Before Trump Takes Office

UP NEXT

White House Pushes to Find American Journalist Abducted in Syria

UP NEXT

Liberal Donors Plot to Overturn Republican House Majority in 2026

UP NEXT

Investigation Reveals Millionaire Musicians Exploit COVID Relief Funds for Luxury Spending

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

4 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

20 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

20 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

21 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

21 hours ago

FDA Approves Weight-Loss Drug to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea

21 hours ago

In a Calendar Rarity, Hanukkah Starts This Year on Christmas Day

22 hours ago

A Look at the $100 Billion in Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

22 hours ago

It’s Eggnog Season. The Boozy Beverage Dates Back to Medieval England but Remains a Holiday Hit

22 hours ago

9-Year-Old Among 5 Killed in Christmas Market Attack in Germany

23 hours ago

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

Bobbie Sage thought nursing would be her salvation. She was trapped in an abusive relationship with four kids and looking for a steady incom...

3 hours ago

3 hours ago

‘It’s Living Hell’: Nurses Say CA Addiction Recovery Program Ended Their Careers

3 hours ago

Santa Who? Bizarre Christmas Traditions Stealing the Holiday Spotlight

3 hours ago

New Decisions Boost California’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate, but Major Hurdles Remain

4 hours ago

Only $20K More to Bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Fresno

20 hours ago

Jeffrey Sachs Warns of Looming US War With Iran

20 hours ago

Cat House on the Kings Urgently Needs You to Donate Dollars and Adopt Your New Best Friend

21 hours ago

The Surprising Sexual Politics of Nicole Kidman’s Kinky ‘Babygirl’

21 hours ago

Why It’s Hard to Control What Gets Taught in Public Schools

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend