Joel Robert Harris

Joel's funeral service will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foEl0X6Y0tY

It is with a sense of profound loss that the family of Joel R. Harris, 38, of Malibu, California announce his passing on October 21, 2020.  We have the absolute confidence that the pain of “this momentary light affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all description” (2 Corinthians 4:17) to which Joel has preceded us and that he is currently in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Joel’s heart and enthusiasm for the Lord, his family, and the countless lives he impacted was shown both through the way he embraced life with passion and fearless adventure and through the way he served others selflessly.

Joel was preceded in death by his grandparents Robert and Ruth Harris and LeConte Myer, Uncles Paul Bennett and Fred Smith, Aunts Mary Harris and Mary Jo Myer, and Cousins Seth Swain and Zachary Myer.  He is survived by his grandmother Ruth Myer of Ovid, New York and his parents John and Beverly Harris of Goshen, Indiana, five brothers, and two sisters.

Joel studied at Cedarville University and subsequently earned his B.S. in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College as well as his A.A. in Modern Standard Arabic from the Defense Language Institute in 2010.  He earned his M.A. in International Relations from American Military University in 2015, and most recently his J.D. from Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in 2020 after which he took the California bar exam.

Serving in the army, Joel worked in intelligence and was stationed in Monterey, California, Fort Hood, Texas, and Afghanistan while earning the rank of Staff Sergeant.  He then continued his intel work as a civilian both in Afghanistan and stateside. He externed with the California Department of Justice and additionally with Cyber Security Affairs. Among other involvements, Joel was the president of Pepperdine Caruso’s Intellectual Property Student Association and Philanthropy Co-chair of the Student Bar Association.

Calling will be at the Yoder-Culp Funeral Home 1911 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana on Wednesday, November 4, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. and 6:00-8:00 p.m., and the funeral will be held at Sugar Grove Church, 58512 Old County Road 17, Goshen, IN on Thursday, November 5 at 11:00 a.m. following a viewing at 10:00 a.m.  Additionally, Pepperdine will be hosting a virtual memorial on November 11 for those who wish to honor his memory and are unable to attend.

In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to give a charitable donation to the Go Fund Me ( https://gf.me/u/y6hgsv ) established in his honor.  Cards may also be sent to his parents at 21335 C.R. 26 Goshen, Indiana 46528.