Timothy M. Harris '57, died February 12, 2012.
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We write this in memory of Timothy Mather Harris, our dad, who passed away Feb. 12, 2012.
Tim had a great life and with the loving support of his wife, Helen (Mt. Holyoke ’61), lived it to its fullest. Tim was a devoted Amherst fan, and we were fortunate that early on he brought us to Amherst to share his love for the College on the Hill. Traveling from Albany, we would arrive early at Pratt Field with dad for the Amherst-Williams game. “This was a happening,” he would say, as we tailgated, watched the game from the end zone, dodged water balloons and helped tear down the goalposts. No trip to Amherst was complete without a stop at Valentine, a frat house and a story or two from days gone by of academic or social feats.
Amherst for dad was a second home. Whether driving the fire truck into town from Phi Gam, working on his biology thesis, coordinating the Fiji island party, joining the crew team, playing the piano on a Saturday afternoon, visiting John ’89 and Heather ’84 as a parent or singing the “Lord Jeffery Amherst” song to his grandchildren, Amherst held a special place in dad’s heart.
Amherst gave a lot to our dad, and in true Amherst spirit, he made the most of the opportunity presented him. Never one to talk about his accomplishments, dad had a long, successful career as a pulmonary/critical care physician. His research with mechanical ventilation of critically ill patients led to revolutionary developments in the treatment and care of ICU patients. He also helped establish the respiratory therapy profession. Dad’s everyday enthusiasm for life permeated everything he did. He was a voracious reader, talented musician, avid fisherman and world traveler, loving husband, proud father and devoted grandparent. We miss you, dad.
—Tim Harris
—John Harris ’89
—Heather Harris Moss ’84