Wert McArthur Harris

Wert McArthur Harris was born January 14, 1958, in Cumberland, Virginia, to the late Alberta and Freddie Harris. He transitioned on May 14, 2026. Through his 68 years of life, he touched so many people with his wisdom, his humor, and his genuine love for people. Wert moved to Baltimore, Maryland, with his family at a very early age. He attended elementary and middle school there and earned his high school diploma through Job Corps. He went on to learn several trades and took college courses at Baltimore City Community College in broadcast journalism. It surprised no one who knew him that he studied communications. Wert was a man of words. But education for Wert never started or ended with school. He was a lifelong learner who spent much of his time reading and teaching himself about the world. He truly believed that knowledge is power, and he wanted to share that knowledge with everyone he cared about. If you ever had the pleasure of receiving a lecture from Wert, on the God within all things, on civil disobedience, on the first human being, a Black person originating in Africa, on The Browder Files, Marcus Garvey, the Buffalo Soldiers, or the effects of 5G, consider yourself loved. Wert wanted his people to be woke, to understand where they came from and the world around them. That was how he showed love: he handed you what he knew. Wert gave nineteen years to Southern Galvanizing, where he worked as a material handler and team leader, and six years to Beverage Capital. He was the kind of man who collected people wherever he went, and the friends and acquaintances he made in those years stayed with him for a lifetime. Those who knew Wert knew a man who believed in taking care of himself and his own. He looked after his body and his spirit with the same seriousness. Resting when he needed to, getting out in the sun, eating well, keeping his mind clear of anything that didn't serve him, and he wanted that for everyone he loved. He never let you leave a conversation without some piece of advice, some reminder to stay focused, to stay disciplined, to take care of yourself first. He had a way of pouring himself into the people around him, and he believed deeply that we are all connected, that no one is created alone, that we are made for each other like fingers on a hand. Wert was one of those people you'd meet and never forget — funny, charming, witty, kind, and not to be played with. He could make a whole room laugh just by walking in and greeting everyone with his term of endearment: "What's up, Hammer." He was undoubtedly that guy, and those who knew him loved him. In addition to his parents, Wert Harris was preceded in death by his sister Mary Harris, Shirley Bolden and brother Freddie Harris. He leaves behind his daughter, Tieast Harris Winston-Bey, son-in-law, Yusuf Winston-Bey, and grandchildren, Kyon and Nori Winston-Bey. Brothers Charlie Harris, Robert Harris, Willis Logan, and sisters Nannie Cornish and Carrie Harris, and a host of nieces and nephews, cousins, and close friends who will forever hold him dear in their hearts.

Tributes

Wert McArthur Harris

January 14, 1958 - May 14, 2026