William A. Harris Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Durham – William A. Harris, 91, of Durham, formerly of Exeter and Stratham, died Thursday, July 23, 2020 at The Monadnock Lodge at River Woods in Exeter. He was born in Lynn, MA March 9, 1929 the younger of two sons of the late Edward and Anita (Pickles) Harris. Raised in Marblehead, MA he graduated from Ridley Preparatory High School, St Catharine’s, ON Canada in 1949 and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY in 1952. He was a veteran of the Korean War serving as a First Lieutenant and being awarded the National Defense Service Medal, with the US Air Force. Mr. Harris was employed as an aeronautical engineer in the Aircraft Engines Division of General Electric in Lynn, MA, where he was heavily involved in the T-58 Turbofan engine program. From there he was promoted to Manager–Advanced Programs, and Advanced Turbofan Programs Aircraft Engine Division. He was in charge of the Design and Implementation of the engines for the F-14 and the F-16 Fighter Jets among others, as well as numerous other projects overseas, and retired with over 30 years of service with GE. He shared nearly 66 years of marriage with his wife Ann (McGeary) Harris who predeceased him on June 12, 2019. They raised three sons in Topsfield, MA prior to retiring in Stratham in 1989. He leaves three sons, recently widowed son William (Patti Preiss) of Stamford, CT, Donald of New Fairfield, CT, and James and his wife Joyce of Eaton, NH, grandson Brian Harris and wife Heidi, granddaughter Sarah Harris and boyfriend Wes Cabrera, step grandchildren Angela Kolipinski and husband Todd, Richard Moore and wife Samantha, Nicole Correale and husband Ryan and step great grandson Cameron Kolipinski. Services will be held at 1 P.M. Saturday, September 12, 2020 at the Pine Grove Cemetery Haverhill Street, Topsfield, MA. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. The family requests in lieu of traditional remembrances donations may be made to Compassus Living Foundation, 10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 400, Brentwood, TN 37027.

William A. Harris

March 9, 1929 - July 23, 2020