Richard Benjamin Harrison - wikipedia Richard Benjamin Harrison This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 6 August 2018. Richard Benjamin Harrison Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. ( 1941 - 03 - 04 ) March 4, 1941 Danville, Virginia, U.S. June 25, 2018 ( 2018 - 06 - 25 ) ( aged 77 ) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Cause of death Complications from Parkinson 's disease Other names The Old Man ( nickname ) The Appraiser Benny Occupation Businessman Reality television personality Years active 1988 -- 2018 Spouse ( s ) Joanne Rhue ( m. 1960 ) Children 4, including Richard Kevin Harrison Website gspawn.com Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. ( March 4, 1941 -- June 25, 2018 ), also known by the nicknames The Old Man and The Appraiser, was an American businessman and reality television personality, best known as the co-owner of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, as featured on the History Channel series Pawn Stars. Harrison was the co-owner of the pawn shop with his son Rick Harrison. They opened the store together in 1989. Harrison was usually referred to by his nickname, `` The Old Man '', which he earned at the age of 38. Contents 1 Early life 2 Marriage and the Navy 3 Business career 4 Awards and recognition 5 Other appearances 6 Legal issues 6.1 Daniel Callahan 6.2 Interference with business practices 7 Personal life and death 8 References 9 External links Early Life Richard Benjamin Harrison Jr. was born in Danville, Virginia, on March 4, 1941, and was of Irish descent. Harrison 's grandson, Corey, has mentioned his grandmother said they are related to Presidents William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison. Harrison indicated that he did not give much credence to this idea. When Harrison was one year old, his family moved to Lexington, North Carolina, where they lived at 115 Peacock Avenue, just off South Main Street. Harrison attended Lexington High School, but left during his junior year. Harrison 's family was poor, and to make money, Harrison drove a school bus when he was 14, parking the bus at his house every night, and getting up early in the morning to pick up the schoolchildren, for which he was paid five or six dollars a week. Marriage and the Navy Harrison achieved the rank of petty officer first class while serving in the United States Navy. When he was 17, Harrison attended a barn dance, where he met his future wife, Joanne Rhue, the daughter of Joseph Rhue, a county judge, who later became one of the lead attorneys for Philip Morris in North Carolina. They married in 1960. Before they married, however, Harrison stole a car, and after he was arrested, was given a choice by the judge to go to prison or the military. Harrison chose the latter. JoAnne became pregnant with their first child immediately after they married, and Sherry, their first child, was born with Down syndrome. They also had three sons, Joseph, Rick, and Chris. Harrison left the Navy in February 1962, but re-enlisted fourteen months later in order to obtain the health care benefits necessary to meet Sherry 's medical expenses. She died when she was six years old. Harrison ultimately served in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, including stints as a paymaster, and attaining the rank of petty officer first class. Harrison served on four ships, including his final five years on fleet tug ATF 100 USS Chowanoc, from 1972 to 1976. In 1967 Harrison was transferred by the Navy to San Diego, California. He continued to serve in the Navy, while JoAnne obtained her real estate license in 1970 and opened her own office in 1973. After Harrison was discharged from the Navy, he worked part - time in his wife 's office. Declining real estate sales caused by interest rates as high as 18 percent cost Harrison $1,000,000 and the collapse of this business in 1981. Business career In April 1981, Harrison and his wife, having only $5,000 left, moved with their three sons to Las Vegas, Nevada, where Harrison and his son Rick opened Gold & Silver Coin Shop in a 300 square foot shop at 1501 Las Vegas Boulevard. In 1986, he relocated the business to a larger building at 413 Fremont Street. In 1987, he obtained a license to buy and sell second - hand goods. The business 's lease expired in 1988. In 1989, Rick opened what would become the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop at 713 Las Vegas Boulevard South, located less than two miles from the Las Vegas Strip. The most common item brought into the store is jewelry. As of July 2011, the store had 12,000 items in its inventory, 5,000 of which are typically held on pawn. Even when absent from the show, according to an episode of Pawn Stars, Harrison usually was the first to arrive at the shop in the morning, and by 2010, had not had a sick day since 1994. From July 19, 2009 until his death, Harrison and his son Rick, along with his grandson Richard Corey `` Big Hoss '' Harrison and Corey 's childhood friend and employee Austin `` Chumlee '' Russell, starred in the reality television program Pawn Stars on the History Channel. Harrison was depicted as saying little and easily angered. Chumlee has stated that he is `` old and cranky '', while Harrison himself indicates : `` My role on the show is to be an old grump. '' Within ten weeks of its debut, Pawn Stars was the highest - rated program on the History Channel, and second highest - rated reality show program behind Jersey Shore. In that same period, the average number of customers in the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop increased from 70 to 700 per day. By February 2012, between 3,000 and 5,000 people visited the store each day. In 2014 Harrison 's net worth was estimated to be $5 million USD. Awards and recognition In March 2010, Harrison, his son, grandson and Austin `` Chumlee '' Russell were awarded the key to the city of Las Vegas by Mayor Oscar Goodman. Harrison and the other stars of Pawn Stars served as grand marshals for the History 300 NASCAR race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26, 2012. On May 29, 2012, Harrison was awarded a key to the city of Lexington, his hometown, by Lexington Mayor Clark Newell, in the Lexington City Council Chamber, and the day was also officially `` Richard Harrison 's Day ''. On July 17, 2012, the Clark County Commission declared that day to be `` Pawn Stars / Gold & Silver Pawn Day ''. At the Commission meeting, Harrison donated $1000 to the Clark County Museum, and lent the U.S. Senate floor chair used by Senator Patrick McCarran ( sold to the Gold and Silver in the Pawn Stars episode `` Take a Seat '' ) to the museum as part of a display on Senator McCarran. Harrison and his son Rick were nominated for the 2012 Time 100 list. Other appearances On December 5, 2011, Harrison made a special appearance at the American Country Awards 2011, giving a speech onstage. On February 25, 2012, he was a guest star at a Celebrity Bingo Bow Wow charity event, which was held at the Silverton Casino Lodge. Legal issues Daniel Callahan In May 2012, Daniel Callahan filed a lawsuit in the District Court in Las Vegas claiming that Harrison and his son Rick failed to provide `` reasonable and necessary '' security at their store, seeking around $20,000 for injuries he allegedly suffered from being `` dragged out of the pawn shop and tossed onto the sidewalk '' after an argument over a rifle he had brought. Harrison 's grandson, Corey, defended them both, stating that they were never in direct contact with Callahan and `` it was in our best interests to get him out of there. '' Interference with business practices In October 2012, A&E Network and the History Channel, along with Harrison and the rest of the show 's cast, were sued in Clark County District Court in Las Vegas for interference with business practices by Wayne F. Jefferies, a Las Vegas promoter and the Harrisons ' manager, who represented them and `` Chumlee '' Russell in their television business dealings. Jefferies, who managed and operated the Las Vegas world cuisine restaurant Seven in 2001, and who, as an event promoter, put up to $75,000 in support of the 2005 and 2006 Las Vegas Red, White and Boom Independence Day event, was instrumental in helping to launch the series. Jefferies stated that after the show premiered, his influence in the show was increasingly reduced, and that he was ultimately fired and left without his promised share of fees and merchandising royalties from the series, purportedly due to network executives after a January 2012 report on TMZ that indicated that the Pawn Stars cast were taken aback by the History Channel 's launch of the spinoff Cajun Pawn Stars, of which the cast had been unaware. Personal Life and death Harrison was particularly passionate about automobiles, showing an interest in all types of cars. Cars he owned or expressed an interest in on the television series include his 1966 Imperial Crown, which took him fifteen years to convince the previous owner to sell, and was subsequently restored by his son and grandson for his 50th wedding anniversary ; a 1957 Chevy 150 sedan given to him by the stars of two other History shows, American Restoration and American Pickers ; and the mid-1960s B&Z Electra - King electric car shown to them in Pawn Stars season 3 episode 14 ( `` Honest Abe '' ), which he suggested could be converted into a golf cart. Harrison died on June 25, 2018, after a battle with Parkinson 's disease. His funeral was held July 1, with his casket draped in an American flag on account of his service in the Navy. His son Rick eulogized him thus : `` He was my hero and I was fortunate to get a very cool ' Old Man ' as my dad. That I got to share him with so many others and they got to see what a great family man he was is something I am grateful to have experienced with him. '' Harrison was survived by wife JoAnne, three sons, 10 grandchildren and five great - grandchildren. Harrison placed his son Rick in charge of his estate. Christopher Harrison, the youngest of Harrison 's three sons, was intentionally omitted from his father 's will. References ^ Jump up to : Huffman, Steve ( February 18, 2011 ). `` ' The Old Man ' from ' Pawn Stars ' recalls growing up in Lexington ''. The Dispatch. Retrieved June 2, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Harrison, Rick ( 2011 ). License to Pawn : Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver. Hyperion. 2011. New York. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4013 - 2430 - 8 ^ Jump up to : Katsilometes, John ( April 8, 2010 ). `` Pawn shop boys ''. Las Vegas Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2013. Jump up ^ Strauss, Gary ( February 18, 2010 ). `` From ' Pawn Stars ' to ' Pickers, ' America 's trash is TV 's treasure ''. USA Today. Retrieved June 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Meet the Pawn Stars : The Old Man `` The Appraiser '' Archived July 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine... History. Retrieved February 10, 2011. Jump up ^ Leach, Robin ( February 5, 2013 ). `` Rare $1,000 bill on ' Pawn Stars ' becomes Old Man 's keepsake ''. Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved February 15, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Fired Up ''. Pawn Stars. Season 2. Episode 1. November 30, 2009. History. Jump up ^ Barker, Victoria ( May 9, 2012 ). `` TV 's hidden treasures ''. AsiaOne Showbiz. Retrieved June 6, 2012. Jump up ^ Shemeligian, Bob ( July 13, 2010 ). `` Road to ' Pawn ' -- Before ' Stars, ' Rick made sandwiches ''. New York Post. Retrieved August 18, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Pawn Stars ' Richard `` Old Man '' Harrison Celebrates 70th Birthday ``. Vegas News. March 4, 2011 Jump up ^ License to Pawn : Deals, Steals and My Life at the Gold & Silver. Their territory was Corcabaskin in West Clare where the name is still most numerous. Jump up ^ `` Harrison for President ''. Pawn Stars. Season 4. Episode 11. February 11, 2011. History. Jump up ^ `` Les is More ''. Pawn Stars. Season 5. Episode 18. January 23, 2012. History. Jump up ^ Huffman, Steve ( February 18, 2011 ). `` Locals remember ' Pawn Stars ' character as nice guy ''. The Dispatch. ^ Jump up to : Harrison ( 2011 ). pp. 9 -- 11 ; 90 -- 91. ^ Jump up to : Rich, Brad ( October 3, 2012 ). `` Star of Pawn Stars visits Swansboro ''. Tideland News. Retrieved October 31, 2012. Jump up ^ Christopher Lawrence ( July 5, 2012 ). `` Hit show brought fame, but ' Pawn Stars ' cast says it 's stayed the same ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. Retrieved November 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Tetrault, Rich. `` Vegas : Oh What a Time We Had ! ''. Towlines ( Winter 2010 ). p. 11. Jump up ^ Waugh, Scott ( October 19, 2010 ). `` Interview with Richard Harrison from Pawn Stars ''. You Served. Jump up ^ `` April Fooled ''. Pawn Stars. Season 8. Episode 49. April 3, 2014. History. Jump up ^ Elder, Laura ( December 27, 2009 ). `` Locals learn hard reality of ' Pawn Stars ' ''. The Daily News. ( Galveston, Texas ) Jump up ^ `` Pezzed Off ''. Pawn Stars. Episode 2.15. History. January 25, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Face the Music ''. Pawn Stars. Season 4. Episode 39. July 25, 2011. History. Jump up ^ `` The Wright Stuff ''. Pawn Stars. Season 4. Episode 44. August 15, 2011. History. Jump up ^ `` Phoning it In ''. Pawn Stars. Season 3. Episode 11. July 12, 2010. History. Jump up ^ `` Big Guns ''. Pawn Stars. Season 2. Episode 24. March 8, 2010. History. Jump up ^ Powers, Ashley ( July 14, 2008 ). `` Hard times are their stock in trade ''. Los Angeles Times. Jump up ^ Shepatin, Matthew ( August 16, 2010 ). `` ' Pawn Stars ' Hero Chumlee : ' Corey Lost 30 Pounds ' ''. PopEater. Retrieved November 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Harrison. 2011. p. 97. ^ Jump up to : Elfman, Doug ( December 23, 2009 ). `` ' Pawn Stars ' becomes a History Channel hit ''. Los Angeles Times. Jump up ^ Seidman, Robert ( January 25, 2011 ). `` ' Pawn Stars ' Delivers 7 Million Viewers, An All - Time High for History ''. TV by the Numbers. Jump up ^ Devan, Subhadra ( February 3, 2012 ). `` Licence to be stars ''. Sunday Life & Times. Jump up ^ Gupta, Ashima ( March 9, 2014 ). `` Corey Harrison : Net Worth, Money And More ''. Rich Glare. Jump up ^ `` Mayor Oscar Goodman Gives Key to City to Pawn Stars ''. Vegas News. March 12, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ' Pawn Stars ' to Serve as Grand Marshals for HISTORY 300 ; Two Lucky Fans to Watch the Race with the TV Celebrities ''. Speedway Media. March 10, 2012. Jump up ^ Edwards, Deenisha ( May 29, 2012 ). `` ' Old Man ' Harrison honored by city for ' Pawn Stars ' success ''. The Dispatch. Retrieved June 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Gustin, Scott ( May 29, 2012 ). `` Lexington 's ' Pawn Star ' to be given key to city ''. WGHP. Retrieved June 2, 2012. Jump up ^ Leach, Robin ( May 22, 2012 ). `` Strip Scribbles : Steve Wynn 's L.V. neighbors -- in N.Y. ; Ray J hospitalized ''. Las Vegas Sun. Jump up ^ Toplikar, Dave ( July 17, 2012 ). `` Richard Harrison of ' Pawn Stars ' lends McCarran chair to museum ''. Vegas Deluxe. Jump up ^ `` The 2012 TIME 100 Poll : Rick and Richard Harrison ''. Time. March 29, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The American Country Awards 2011 ''. Zimbio. December 4, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Leonard, Nick ( February 28, 2012 ). `` 2012 Celebrity Bingo Bow Wow at Silverton ''. Las Vegas Sun. Jump up ^ Clarke, Norm ( May 6, 2012 ). `` ' Pawn Stars ' staff backed in incident ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. Archived from the original on 2012 - 12 - 28. Jump up ^ Divito, Nick ( October 8, 2012 ). `` Reality Show Stars Face Real Lawsuit ''. Courthouse News Service. Retrieved October 31, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Ritter, Ken ( October 8, 2012 ). `` ' Pawn Stars ' sued by former manager in Las Vegas ''. Associated Press. Jump up ^ Katsilometes, John ( November 5, 2011 ). `` Goodman set for role as TV judge ''. Las Vegas Sun. p. 6. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Hiesiger, Michael ( May 21, 2001 ). `` Inside Business ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. p. 2D. Jump up ^ Miller, Valerie ( July 4, 2005 ). `` Celebrations turn to entertainment promoters ''. Las Vegas Business Press. 22 ( 27 ) : 2. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ `` 12th Annual Red White And Boom Festival On July 3, 4 At Desert Breeze Park ''. US State News. May 24, 2006. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Katsilometes, John ( October 13, 2011 ). `` Garrett to exit Trop for MGM Grand ''. Las Vegas Sun. p. 6. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ John Katsilometes ( October 14, 2011 ). `` Goodman stays in spotlight ''. Las Vegas Sun. p. 1. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ Brown, Eric ( October 5, 2012 ). `` Pawn Stars Cast Facing Lawsuit From Ex-Manager, Wayne Jefferies ''. International Business Times. Retrieved October 13, 2012. Jump up ^ His passion for cars is mentioned in the Pawn Stars episodes `` Rope a Dope '' and `` Honest Abe ''. He mentioned in the episode `` Sharks and Cobras '' that he has owned 40 cars in his life. Jump up ^ Cammisa, Jason ( May 2010 ). `` As Seen on TV : The Pawn Stars ' 1966 Imperial Crown Convertible ''. Automobile Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Read, Richard ( October 3, 2011 ). `` 1957 Chevy From ' Pawn Stars ' Catches Fire, Gets Restored Within Hours ''. Motor Authority. Retrieved August 21, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Old Man 's Booty '', Pawn Stars. Season 2, Episode 3. History. December 7, 2009 Jump up ^ `` Honest Abe '' Pawn Stars. Season 3, Episode 14. History. November 1, 2010 Jump up ^ DeSantis, Rachel ( June 25, 2018 ). `` Richard ' Old Man ' Harrison of ' Pawn Stars ' Dead at 77 ''. Daily News. New York City. Retrieved June 28, 2018. Jump up ^ Savitsky, Sasha ( June 26, 2018 ). `` Richard ' Old Man ' Harrison of ' Pawn Stars ' dead at 77 ''. Fox News. Jump up ^ Corriton, Michele ( July 2, 2018 ). `` Pawn Stars ' Richard ' Old Man ' Harrison Laid to Rest at Las Vegas Funeral ''. People. Jump up ^ Katsilometes, John ( July 18, 2018 ). `` ' Old Man ' Harrison of ' Pawn Stars ' cuts 1 son out of his will ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richard Benjamin Harrison. Richard Benjamin Harrison on IMDb Official website Gold and Silver Dealer in USA Pawn Stars franchise Main Pawn Stars episodes Cast Rick Harrison Richard `` Old Man '' Harrison Corey `` Big Hoss '' Harrison Austin `` Chumlee '' Russell Spinoffs American Restoration episodes Cajun Pawn Stars episodes Counting Cars episodes Pawn Stars UK Pawnography Pawn Stars Australia Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Benjamin_Harrison&oldid=853671149 '' Categories : 1941 births 2018 deaths American television personalities Participants in American reality television series American car collectors People from Danville, Virginia People from Lexington, North Carolina Pawn Stars Military personnel from Virginia United States Navy sailors Deaths from Parkinson 's disease Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Use mdy dates from June 2018 Articles with hCards All articles lacking reliable references Articles lacking reliable references from October 2014 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu Català Español Euskara Français Português Simple English Türkçe Edit links This page was last edited on 6 August 2018, at 07 : 39 ( UTC ). 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Question: what did the grandpa on pawn stars die of
Answer: Parkinson's disease