Obituaries

Jessie Carroll Selvey

Photo of Jessie Carroll Selvey
Jessie .(Skip) Selvey, aka Harmless T. Jester, lifelong purveyor of the Cosmic Joke, finally ‘gets it.' He was born on January 1, 1952, and died on June 19, 2015. A clown his whole life, Harmless performed his own peculiar brand of comedy juggling entertainment for 37 years, appearing all over the country. He was an enthusiastic musician, performing in bands such as Whiskers and (in the 1980s) a political satire band called Ronnie's Ray Guns. He even ran for governor of Arkansas in 1981 (in clown face, of course) against future president Bill Clinton. But it wasn't only what he did that matters, it was who he was that made him special. He was always the first one to make a joke, crack a smile, or brighten a room. He always helped the people around him, and was known by everyone he met to be kind, generous, and above all else, funny. Thanks to him, the world is more full of humor, and is quite a bit stranger. In fact, it will probably take decades for the people he met to stop giggling. Harmless leaves behind his wife of 27 years, Alysen Land, two sons Liam and Jessie, two daughters, Mikal Childress and Rose Selvey, three grandchildren, Emily Childress, Abby Childress, and Atrayu Selvey.

Published June 24, 2015

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