George Harris

George Harris died on October 16, 2018 at the Webster Park Center.  He was 75 years old. Burial will be at will be at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Rockland, Massachusetts at Noon on Friday, November 2, 2018. He is predeceased by his mother Rita McDermott Harris, his father George Harris and his son Kent Harris.  He is survived by his daughter Cynthia Harris, Sister Catherine Rossi, Brother in Law Bob, Nephew Brian, Niece Christine, Daughter in law Lara and grand children, McKenna and Cade.

George Harris was a remarkably friendly person who attracted people to him. When his mother needed he took special care of his younger sister Catherine. Rita Harris dropped them off for daily Mass before she went to work and they went to school. While George was at Webster Park, Catherine called him every day from Maryland and made several trips to see him.

George attended St. John’s University where he majored in accounting and was inducted into the Sigma Chi Upsilon Fraternity.  After graduation in 1964 he enlisted in the Marine Corps with his fraternity brother John Ferrara who became a life-long friend. After graduating from Parris Island, George was sent to the Mechanical Fundamentals School in Jacksonville, Florida. He was then assigned to Marine Corps Reserve Attack Squadron 131 at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, New York.

Between St. John’s and the Marine Corps, George married the “Sweet Heart of Sigma Chi” Barbara Kent.  He was honorably discharged from the Marines in 1970 with a bunch of Marine Corps stories that would serve him well in his business career. George Harris was a storyteller. Xerox salesmen booked luncheons for George to tell their clients Marine Corps stories. Their favorite was “The Corporal White Flight Line” story. George’s nephew Brian got George to tell it to his friends when George visited.

George and Barbara eventually settled in Scituate, Massachusetts with their two children Kent and Cynthia. By then George shifted from accounting and joined the Xerox Corporation where his remarkably friendly personality made him a top salesman and instructor for Xerox. One year he wrote the largest order in Xerox history up to that time.

He was a CCD instructor for St. Francis Church in Scituate, joined the St. Paul’s Prayer Group in Hingham, was a member of two Choirs and after his wife Barbara died he became a Franciscan ordained as Brother Vincent Mary, Franciscan Tertiary of the Immaculate. He was guardian to a homeless person and cared for an infirmed wheelchair bound woman. He did all these things up until a fall resulted in his residency in the Webster Park Center. There he quickly earned the title of the Mayor of Webster Park. He greeted new people, visited the residents and served as Vice President of the Resident Advisory Committee. He enjoyed all the activities and even got his brother in law Bob to come from Maryland hauling his 12 string guitar for an activities sing along. They were in college together, in the Marines together and at Xerox together. Bob Rossi married George’s sister Catherine in 1968.  

The Webster Park staff was great; before George passed away he was attended by an excellent Hospice Relationship Team. They sang spiritual songs and talked. They kept Catherine informed as George declined. His last visitor was his daughter Cynthia who prayed the “Our Father” while holding his hand.  About a half hour later George passed on. We believe God went before him and George is now a member of the heavenly choir. He will be missed.