Friday, March 21, 2025
Harold Eugene Durham, 83, went to be with his Lord and Savior Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Fort Worth. He was born Jan. 6, 1942, in Albany to Howard and Greydelle Durham.
Visitation was 6-8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3 at Wiley Funeral Home Chapel in Granbury.
A funeral service was at 2pm. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Granbury Church of Christ, 1905 W. Pearl St. in Granbury with a graveside service following at Holly Hills Memorial Park in Granbury.
Derek Tompkins, the Family Life Minister at Central Christian Church in Weatherford, will officiate the memorial. He is a lifelong friend of the family, brother and confidant.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Christian Service Center at the Granbury Church of Christ. Arrangements and services were under the care and direction of Wiley Funeral Home in Granbury.
Harold was a 1960 graduate of Albany High School where he excelled in football, basketball and track, while also playing a little baseball along the way. After high school he went to Abilene Christian College (now University) where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies and a master’s degree in divinity. He worked his way through college by roughnecking, roustabouting and working at Safeway. Harold later obtained a Master of Education in counseling from Sul Ross State University.
Harold had a profound desire to serve others as a minister and he became a preacher in the Church of Christ, a capacity he served in for more than 50 years, with stints in Weinert, Sheffield, Fort Stockton, all in Texas, Eunice, New Mexico, and ultimately in Granbury, where he retired. He also served as an elder at the Fort Stockton Church of Christ. At the time of his passing, Harold was a faithful member of the Granbury Church of Christ.
Harold possessed a servant’s heart and with the help of the eldership of the Fort Stockton Church of Christ, he began a ministry at the local prisons. He was eventually appointed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as a special volunteer for Region IV, which effectively made him the chaplain at both prisons in Fort Stockton. He was also the highest-ranking civilian member of TDCJ after being named the lead debriefer for the Region IV Trauma Team and the West Texas Crisis Team. He spent the next several years providing post trauma counseling services to survivors and training post trauma responders throughout the state of Texas.
Most of all, Harold loved people, which led him to be involved in so many other things besides his local church ministries. He was the Secretary for Fort Stockton Little League for over 25 years and was a co-founding board member of the West Texas Little League Baseball Association. Harold coached the same Pee Wee baseball team in Fort Stockton for many years, throwing countless hours of batting practice. During his last several years in West Texas he coached Babe Ruth and High School travel ball. He also served as an at-large member of the recreation board for the city of Fort Stockton.
Harold enjoyed writing, loved sports, singing (even though he couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket), listening to all kinds of music, and was a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He passed a love for the game to his kids and grandkids. Harold always had a smile in his voice, even when he was upset, and he was a major source of encouragement for all those around them. He handed out encouraging words like candy from his pocket, which he also literally did for his kids and grandchildren whenever they were down or disappointed. People always walked away from Harold feeling better than when they came to him.
Later in life, Harold became a licensed professional counselor and worked at the Christian Service Center, providing outreach and counseling services to the community of Granbury. He enjoyed watching his grandkids play soccer, baseball, softball, football, basketball and performing in musicals and concerts.
In his last days, he continued serving and ministering to those around him, especially to the healthcare professionals who were serving him, making a profound impact on their lives.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents and by his wife Barbara Durham.
He is survived by sons, Chad Durham and wife Sherry and Brett Durham and wife Erika; daughter, Misty Walters and husband Randall; grandchildren Nikole English, Dilan English (wife Meghan), Alyssa Durham, Sean Durham, Elizabeth Durham, Andrew Walters, Matthew Walters and Nathan Walters; great-granddaughter, Aleah English; sisters, Janice Evers and husband Sonny, Laura Yockey, and Nancy Cooke and husband Joe Cooke Sr.; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.
