Paul Harris

Paul Dean Harris III (known affectionately as Paris) was born August 28, 2004, in Wichita Falls, Texas, to Stacee Wiley and Bobby Harris. A 2023 graduate of Wichita Falls High School (Old High), Paul carried his hometown warmth with him when he later moved to Dallas. He was known for a big heart, quick humor, and an ability to lift those around him — qualities that made him, in the words the family shared, a “ray of sunshine.”

Paul loved to be where people gathered. Family and friends remember him as the life of the party who could make strangers laugh and give steady comfort to people in need. He celebrated his identity openly and lived with a bold, joyful spirit that many described as contagious. Those who knew him recall his knack for turning ordinary moments into memories and his talent for filling a room with energy and warmth.

He was preceded in death by his father, Bobby Harris; grandmother Fannie Smith; great-grandmother Mary Wiley; and grandfather Paul Smith. Paul is survived by his mother, Stacee Wiley; sister Za’Myria Harris; brother Isaiah; nephew Ayzal Cole; nephews Cairo and Cortlan; niece Carsyn; sister-in-law Serena White; and a wide circle of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who cherished him.

Paul’s family has asked that his memory be honored by celebrating the joy he gave to others — through laughter, kindness, and the unapologetic way he lived. Those who loved him remember the brightness he brought into their lives and the lasting warmth of his presence. Arrangements were handled by Ainsworth & Young Funeral Home in Wichita Falls.