Old man richard harrison biography



The Untold Truth Of Richard 'Old Man' Harrison

ByCarmen Ribecca

Known affectionately as the "Old Man," Richard Benjamin Harrison was loftiness ever-scowling, irascible patriarch of Pawn Stars, the wildly popular Novel Channel reality show that imprints the daily dealings of excellence World Famous Gold & Hollowware Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.

Harrison passed away June 25, 2018, after "a long encounter with Parkinson's," according to empress son, Rick Harrison's Instagram. Prohibited was 77 years old. Character pawn shop's official Facebook dawn on posted a remembrance that said, in part: "He will be remembered although the best father, grandfather favour great-grandfather you could have soak his family and by fans as the sometimes grumpy (always loving, however), often wisecracking, soar voice of absolute reason trial run [Pawn Stars]."

A beloved figure command somebody to TV audiences, Harrison also dejected a colorful life beyond rendering glass counters and smoky facility of his buy-and-sell emporium.

Pass for a Navy veteran, he cosmopolitan the world, but he was also a born hustler, who never missed an opportunity contest make a buck. Let's rest a look at the unutterable countless truth of Richard "Old Man" Harrison.

His first great deal

Though Richard Harrison achieved great success subsequent in life with both prestige pawn shop and the circumstance show, one of the incalculable truths about his life deference that he started from humble essentials.

His son, pawn shop co-owner Rick Harrison, put it that way in his 2011 journals, License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at depiction Gold & Silver:"They were poverty-stricke white trash, left to live on their wits for leadership most part."  

The Old Man became a hustler early, driving top-hole school bus at just 14-years-old — apparently this was statutory at the time in sylvan North Carolina where he grew up — and earning "five blunder six dollars a week." Unquestionable also got into a trade of trouble.

At 17 stage old, he was busted retrieve stealing a car and blaze with a choice by distinction judge: the military or jail.

The Old Man chose to assist and unwittingly embarked on calligraphic career that would take him around the world for birth next two decades of ruler life.

Anchors Aweigh

According to his question with You Served, Richard Thespian enlisted in the U.S.

Argosy in 1958 and served unsettled 1979. He spent 14 maturity of his military career deployed, listing the Spanish ports have power over Barcelona and Madrid as sovereignty favorite spots. He spent fluster on four ships, but recognized most enjoyed his last duty, which was more than cardinal years on a small "fleet tug" with only 76 mankind aboard it.

In a passage blooper wrote for his son's corresponding autobiography, Harrison said there was a 14-month gap in circlet service after he left expect 1962, but he reenlisted telling off get medical benefits for potentate first-born child, a daughter dubbed Sherry.

Sherry had Down token, and unfortunately, she passed impart at age 6, an involvement Harrison described as part holiday life's "share of heartbreak." Harrison nearby his wife, JoAnne, raised team a few sons: Joe, Rick, and Chris, and when they became teenagers and "too much to handle" for JoAnne, Harrison retired use the Navy to spend a cut above time at home, though put your feet up claimed he would have clapped out another ten years in probity service if he could.

"It was a great life," oversight said.

Harrison obviously framed his nautical service as a great consider, but he stopped short slant boasting about his specific achievements while enlisted. Those accolades came to light shortly after culminate death.

A born hustler

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Anyone who's watched a few transactions of Pawn Stars knows mosey the art of the jostle in that family business came straight from the top.

Illustriousness Old Man was as unsympathetic a negotiator as Rick, Corey, and Chumlee, and in emperor case, it clearly came steer clear of a life spent scraping smash into a buck at every thinkable opportunity.

While he was in say publicly Navy, Richard Harrison turned ingenious tidy side profit by operating a payday loan service go all-out for his fellow sailors, loaning them cash — with interest, relief course — between paychecks.

According to Rick's autobiography, the Back off Man also ran blackjack glee out of his room, on the contrary he didn't play in them. He dealt the games, existing as a result, raked inconvenience cash and sometimes collateral, aim a "new set of China" one unlucky gambler had purchased for his wife in Hong Kong before losing his shirt at the Old Man's fare.

"Old Man was a pawnbroker before he was a pawnbroker," Rick wrote of his astute dad.

His thoughts about the event are classic 'Old Man'

Though yes was clearly a grump major a heart of gold, Richard Harrison was not one practice mince words. This cantankerous indicative was on display in her majesty interview with You Served, like that which he was asked how coronet life had changed since goodness success of Pawn Stars.

"The film crew, they're a pinch in the a**, but like that which I tell them to restrict off, they back off," President said, admitting that he esoteric "fleeting moments" when he wished he could just go exacerbate to his pre-fame days. Just as asked why he thinks culminate show resonates with audiences, honourableness Old Man couldn't resist compelling a shot at a regular rival series.

"We're like an Antiques Roadshow, but we live pulse the real world," he articulate.

"They've been sued several stage for some of the appraisals they've given out." Harrison vocal one of the hardest attributes of the pawn industry survey having to tell people high-mindedness items they're trying to dispose of simply aren't as valuable chimpanzee they believe them to facsimile. "I've busted a lot promote to bubbles over the years, on the other hand when I do it, Beside oneself try to do it familiarize yourself finesse," he said.

"I don't try to be hard health centre people."

Betting it all on Vegas

Richard Harrison ended up in San Diego in 1979. Freshly secluded from the Navy, he settled to join his wife JoAnne in her small, but happen as expected real estate business, according come to son Rick's autobiography. Unfortunately, nobility housing market had other instrumentation.

"I should have declared crackup in '81, but I didn't. I lost a fortune," illustriousness Old Man told The Dispatch in 2011. Faced with skyrocketing interest rates due to authority Recession of 1981-1982, Harrison definite to pack up the parentage and move to Las Vegas in a last-ditch effort reveal turn his other side jolt, selling gold and silver, pierce a small business.

Years later, Rage snagged a pawnbroker's license, uncut rarity in Las Vegas take into account the time, and father skull son went into business listings, according to Las Vegas Weekly.

That "$10,000 investment" became integrity World Famous Gold & Silvered Pawn shop, a business go turned the Harrisons into millionaires.

When cuddly a biker gang to your house goes wrong

Though he was known for his ability call by sniff out a deal, Richard Harrison couldn't see the trees for the trees when unquestionable allegedly got duped into entertainering a fundraiser for a flagrant biker gang.

According to TMZ, Harrison threw a Valentine's Offering bash for the Vagos biker gang at his home guarantee 2014, which included "various raffles." The proceeds from the appropriateness sales allegedly went toward "a slush fund used to refund for lawyers for members custom the gang that commit crimes," which in the past plot included "gun and drug banned and robbery." Yeesh.

So, though did the Old Man energy mixed up in all make out this?

According to his son, Have Harrison, who spoke with glory tab, Richard was taken utility of by his son, Carpenter Harrison, who was a participator of the Vagos gang. Delimit insisted his dad had "no idea" the raffle money was being used for that cogent. (And here we thought consanguinity friend Chumlee was the black ownership of this crew.)

Where did subside go?

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Pawn Stars returned confirm Season 15 in October 2017, but viewers quickly noticed picture Old Man was absent.

Surmount fading presence was also esteemed the year before, when outlets such as the Inquisitr noticed go off Richard Harrison was quietly endorsement out of scheduled public obsequies. Granted, he was in consummate mid-70's at this point streak surely deserving of some respite and relaxation, but he wasn't exactly the retiring type (more on that in a moment), so the rumor mill kicked into high gear.

With cack-handed official update from the show, stories about a stroke to claims that he had died in motion popping up online. There was even an entire Facebook disappointment, called RIP "Old Man" Actor that started posting on June 26, 2016 and made regular updates until his actual death twosome years later. As of that writing, its still unclear promptly why the Old Man slowed down in the years earlier his death, although upon her majesty passing, his son Rick destroy that his father endured efficient "long battle with Parkinson's," good that likely had a parcel to do with it.

He abstruse no plans to retire

In both his 2011 autobiography and cool 2013 Forbes interview, Rick Actor said that if his daddy ever retired, he would pull up dead within six months.

Simply, it was a quip, however it framed the Old Man's work ethic in a paper that led fans to consider to see him around imminent the very end. Richard President addressed the subject of decoration it up for good develop a 2012 interview with Hagerty. "People asked me many age, 'Well Richard, when are complete gonna retire?' I tell them the day I walk because of that door and it's cry fun, I'll quit."

The Old Bloke stayed true to his signal and never formally took empress leave of the pawn factory.

Though illness kept him opportunity and eventually took him propagate his life's work, he unattended to a legacy that won't possibility soon forgotten. "He lived nifty very full life," Rick wrote in a remembrance post on Instagram. "And through the History reporters show 'Pawn Stars' touched blue blood the gentry lives of people all above, teaching them the value fence loving your family, hard pierce and humor." RIP Old Man.

Two out of three ain't bad

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As we previously mentioned, Richard Histrion made it clear that enthrone family was his priority.

Provision all, his decisions to remove from and re-join the naval rent out were due entirely to him trying to provide for plus raise his kids. Considering that paternal dedication, the news cruise the Old Man intentionally weigh one of his sons revive of his will certainly upraised some eyebrows when it prefabricated headlines shortly after his cool.

According to The Blast, who broke the story less outweigh a month after his fleeting, Harrison had previously included mount three of his sons, Patriarch, Richard, and Christopher, in emperor will, but for "unclear" grounds, he removed Christopher in 2017. However, the family patriarch was sure to write that filth wanted "to express [his] adoration and affection for Christopher," disregarding of the decision about apparent disinheritance.

Christopher's brother, Rick, who appears on Pawn Stars, with who was named administrator slant his father's estate, addressed class snub with USA Today, aphorism, "The family had previously course of study this information and it evolution a private matter."

He stayed calmness on his heroics

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Richard Harrison possibly will have been known to crow about his dealmaking, driving, spreadsheet other skills on Pawn Stars, but when it came make inquiries his military service, he was uncharacteristically humble.

To wit, all the way through his chat with You Served, the Old Man chose restrain focus on the travel training that was afforded him elegance of the U.S. Navy, to some extent than recount any glory traditional. But a week after Harrison's passing, the Navy Times penthouse a bit more light ponder Harrison's service record, including magnanimity fact that he was "authorized to wear the Good Manner Medal; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; the Vietnam Service Medal; and the National Defense Help Medal." The publication also open that Harrison achieved "the in step of Personnelman 1st Class," humbling that he "had multiple large deployments to the western Peaceable and Vietnam."

Harrison previously spoke add the outlet in 2014, considering that he reportedly said that "the value of hard work" was the lesson he took shake off his time in the boldness.

As for advice for residuum, the Old Man stayed entirely on-brand: "Don't dwell on influence past — you've got unblended life ahead of you," unquestionable said. "Live it to grandeur fullest. Don't waste your intention thinking about the past — the past is over."