Allan A. Harris
Oct. 27, 1923-Oct. 2, 2018
Menlo Park, California
After almost 95 years of spreading kindness throughout our community, and leaving a wake of smiles and laughter wherever he went, "Big Al" Harris transitioned peacefully in his sleep, just before daylight as the first rains of the Fall quenched the Peninsula.
Dad was born in Rockford, Illinois and moved West as a young boy with his mother Margaret Harris Lovejoy and younger brother Louis to start a new life after losing his father Allan Beck Harris in an aviation accident. Dad was 9 years old at the time. He loved planes and trains, and taking after his dad, was an avid pilot. He attended Stanford University, graduating from the Department of Engineering. He also served in the second World War. Sadly, I am only able to recall this part of his distinguished life through stories.
Perhaps Dad’s greatest legacy is the number of lives he enriched each and every day. For the last six months, as I chauffeured him to his appointments and helped him run errands, Dad would be sure to introduce me to all his favorite local merchants and the medical assistants at the handful of offices we visited. Each would greet him with a beaming “Hey there, Mr. Harris! So good to see you again!” The genuine affection these folks all have for my father warms a grieving heart.
Around the neighborhood, the children adored Al as did all his neighbors, some of who have lived there almost as long as he has! He and his wife Betsy raised my sister Lindsay and me in the '60s and '70s in the house where he passed, and it is no surprise that the character of the neighborhood seems unchanged from when I was a boy. The kindness of this micro-community is a testament to the seeds he helped plant there long ago.
Of course, Dad’s biggest passion in life was being the best provider he could be. Beyond being Mom’s soulmate and the World’s Greatest Dad, he was very active with his church community and their fundraising. His love for Stanford University will live on through an endowment which provides scholarships for both female and male athletes, and both graduate and undergraduate Engineering students. Most of all, his selfless generosity and his desire for Peace on Earth and goodwill towards others provided us all with a set of blue prints for generations to come.
On Saturday, Nov. 10, there will be a service at St. Bede’s Episcopal Church, 2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park; this begins at 2 p.m. Afterwards, there will be a Celebration of Life reception at a location yet to be determined. If you wish to reach out or need information, please send inquires to me at steele.harris@sbcglobal.net or call 650-245-5588.
Tags: veteran
