James Carter Harrison

James Carter Harrison, 72, was born on March 4, 1947 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, the son of Carter and Georgia Davis Harrison. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 26, 2019.

Jim loved Richland County, its people and its landscape, and it remained his lifetime retreat. He was a proud 1965 graduate of Richland Center High School, where he made many life-long friends and excelled in sports. He was a quarterback on the football team and played second base for the first and only baseball team that went to state for Richland Center High School. He graduated from UW La Crosse and UW Stout, where he received his Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Jim married Jane Taylor on August 15, 1970 in La Crosse, where they made their home. Each depended on the other as they grew their careers, raised their children, and shared a life together. Both shared a deep belief in the importance of knowledge, education, and family.

Jim touched countless lives. He began working for Gundersen Lutheran Hospital as a Substance Abuse and Marriage and Family Therapist. He and a colleague took the Behavioral Health program from a small department to one of the largest at Gundersen during his 35-year career. After retiring from Gundersen, Jim ended his career at Counseling Associates and continued providing optimal care for his patients there. Throughout his career, Jim helped thousands of people overcome personal and behavioral health issues, leaving a legacy of hope, health and opportunity.  He was a rock that selflessly carried the burdens of others.

Jim shared his love of the outdoors with his family and friends. Many of our best memories of Jim are of times at the Richland County cabin, fishing in northern Wisconsin and hunting with his family in the western United States. Jim made sure to keep the love of the outdoors he inherited from his mother and father alive in his children and grandchildren, teaching them ethical behavior in the field, and how to hunt and fish. He believed the lessons learned from being a good sportsman made good human beings. Jim loved the written word and studying history. He especially loved the history of the Western United States and one of his heroes was Theodore Roosevelt.

He was devoted to his wife, children and grandchildren, his sister and brothers and his nieces and nephews. Jim is survived by his wife Jane; his son Jeffrey and his wife Nicole of Richland Center; his daughters Sarah and her husband Justin Rooney of La Crosse; and Andrea and her husband Kelly Gohman of Waconia, Minnesota. He was the beloved grandfather of Matthew and Sean Gohman; Natalie and Levi Rooney; Davis Harrison; and Julia and Carter Harrison. Jim is also survived by his sister Nancy Harrison Durdin and her husband A. C. of Glenbeulah and three brothers: Robert and his wife Sharon of Madison; John of Portage; and Paul of Madison. He is survived by his mother-in-law Arleen Baker and loving members of the Taylor and Baker families including Randy and Jane Taylor and Chip and Jamie Baker.

Jim cherished democracy and ethical, transparent government. His greatest regret would have been that he couldn’t vote in 2020.

Services will be held Myrick Eco-Park in La Crosse Monday, December 9th. Service will be held at 11:30am, celebration of life to follow at 12:30 to 2:30. Memorials may be given to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, the Georgia and Carter Harrison Scholarship Fund at UW-Platteville/Richland Center, the Riteway Club, and National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of La Crosse is assisting the family.