Nicholas Harris

Obituary of Nicholas George Harris

 

Nick passed away on January 28th after a short illness with his family by his side. Nick was born to Phyllis and George Ivan Harris in Salisbury, England in the fall of 1939, at the dawn of World War II. Sadly, his father, a Royal Marine, was killed
when the HMS Barham was sunk off the Egyptian Coast by a German submarine. Though Nick felt his loss for the duration of his life, his mother remarried, and his stepfather Leslie Jones was a loving and attentive figure in Nick’s childhood. His
sister Lesley completed the family. Nick had many tales from his time at the Bishop Wordsworth School in Salisbury from a failed chemistry experiment that blew off the roof, to his admiration of his professor and mentor, William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies. Nick often said that one of the characters in the novel was fashioned after him. When Nick became a young man, he followed his father’s footsteps and joined the British Army. In the Cold War period of the1960s, Nick served in West Germany as a Captain in the Royal Artillery. After the military, Nick was in search of a new adventure and joined William Collins and Sons. The adventure continued when he was relocated to Montreal, Canada where he was soon destined to meet his life’s partner and soul mate, Jane Darling, and after marrying in 1968, they relocated to Thornhill with their two children, Nicola and Greg, in the early 1970s.

His children were his pride and joy for all his days, which later he was thrilled to extend to his son-in-law Steven Baine, and daughter-in-law, Heather. Nick enjoyed a long and successful career in publishing, culminating in his role as President of Collins Canada. One of his most memorable projects was the Day in the Life series which became a worldwide sensation. Nick enjoyed many interests for many things, including tennis, and of course, he was an avid reader. Perhaps his greatest passion was for his racehorses that trained and competed at Woodbine Racetrack. It was often a family gathering in the Winner’s Circle with his beloved grandchildren Samantha, Ben, Jake, Aimee and Nathan by his side. Nick and Jane were often found travelling the world too. At last count, they had visited over 90 countries, with highlight holidays in Africa, India, Japan and an exciting cruise around Cape Horn. Their travels also often included family, and many memories were made and are treasured to this day. One of Nick’s greatest talents was to tell a good story. He could keep his children and grandchildren spellbound with his tales. In the end, it is this story of his own life that has proven to be greatest tale of all.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Philip's-on-the-hill Church, Unionville.

Thursday
6
February

Service

11:00 am
Thursday, February 6, 2025
St. Philip's on-the-hill Anglican Church
9400 Kennedy Rd.
Markham, Ontario, Canada
(905) 477-1991
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