Samuel Joseph "Joey" Harris

Obituary For Samuel Joseph "Joey" Harris

Samuel Joseph "Joey" Harris passed away peacefully on the evening of Sunday, November 30th at the age of 64. A graduate of Bishop Byrne High School and Christian Brothers University (always CBC to him), Joey went on to serve the United States in the Air Force, stationed in Germany and Saudi Arabia. Upon returning home, he completed his law degree from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1992. Spending several years in the greater Pittsburgh area, Joey founded and ran the Harris Law Firm. Though he aced the bar exam, he was not astute enough to have foreseen that it gets very cold "up north" and therefore returned south, Cookeville, TN, in the late nineties, where he continued his law practice.

If you spent any time around him, you would know that Joey loved a few things fiercely, one being the Memphis Tigers Basketball team; he would have wanted it to be known that in his death, as in his life - he did not choose forgiveness for John Calipari. He also loved Quentin Tarantino films, Breaking Bad, historical novels, watching You Tube Videos on full volume and playing live trivia.

Joey loved his children dearly and he leaves behind Samantha, Mitchell and Quentin. He also leaves behind a loving wife, Mary Lou Buford-Gestas, who just happened to be his prom date in 1979. She promptly dumped him soon after, ultimately creating a slow-play, love story that would span 40+ years. Joey adored Mary Lou and anyone who knew him, knew that without a shadow of a doubt. Joey also leaves behind his mother (Gabby), sister (Diana), step-children, Daniel Bruchman (Kellina) and Shane Bruchman, grandchildren (Adrian, Elliott, Salem, and Frankie), nieces and nephews (Mary, David, Anna & Amanda) and his sweet, fluffy best friend, Buffy.

He is preceded in death by the mother of his children, Lisa Buckley Harris, his grandmothers Loretta Harris and Norma Johnson, his grandfather William B. Johnson.

Your humor and love will be missed each and every day. Joey, unlike the Tigers in 2008, you won.

Memorial Service 11:00 A.M. Friday, December 19, 2025 at Church of the Nativity, 2793 Buckner Lane, Thompsons Station, Tennessee 37179