Tom Harris, son of David and Carol Harris, died May 9, 2005.
Tom Harris
Tom Harris, son of David and Carol Harris, died May 9, 2005.
Born in May 20, 1970, he was a 1988 graduate of Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill. He received his A.A. in music from Gavilan College and was working toward a degree in geology at San Jose State University.
Tom was a gifted musician, artist and performer. He was the bass player for the alternative rock band, “The Chant,” which performed locally for more than a decade. Tom was recognized for his guitar skills in Bassist Magazine. Tom appeared on stage and performed in the orchestra on numerous occasions with South Valley Community Theatre. He is remembered by local audiences for his portrayal of Ellard in the Center Stage production of “The Foreigner.”
A motorcycle enthusiast, Tom worked as a quality control engineer at Indian Motorcycle Co. from 1999-2002. He participated in Indian’s cross-country Centennial Ride in 2001, riding from Maine to Chicago on an Indian Motorcycle Chief and rejoining the ride with Allison in San Luis Obispo.
In 2001, Tom’s love of science brought him back to school at San Jose State University to pursue his dream of becoming a geologist. While attending university, Tom was employed by Kaiser Permanente, Santa Teresa.
Tom was an avid outdoorsman, who loved camping, rock collecting, hiking, bicycling, rock scrambling and sailing in the San Francisco Bay. His favorite destinations included Yosemite, Death Valley, Pinnacles National Park, Henry Coe State Park and Uvas Canyon County Park. He was often accompanied on his adventures by his beloved German shorthair pointer, Brodie.
Tom is survived by his parents of Gilroy; his girlfriend Allison Hodgdon of Los Banos; his brother David Harris of Fresno; his sister Nancy Harris of Berkeley; and uncle cousins and grandmother in Amsterdam, N.Y.
A visitation will take place at Habing Family Funeral Home in Gilroy, from 10am to 1:30pm today, May 14, followed by a 2pm Funeral Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gilroy.
A memorial barbecue is planned for Sunday, June 5, from 11am to 5pm at Uvas Canyon Park. Details can be obtained by contacting nh*****@****ck.com
A memorial scholarship has been established in honor of Tom at San Jose State University. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Tom Harris Geology Scholarship – SJSU Foundation, San Jose State University, Office of Development & Alumni Relations, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0257.
