Prominent Nanaimo businessman Tom Harris has died.
Harris died unexpectedly in the early morning hours Thursday while visiting Roche Harbor in Washington state.
Harris was dealer principal at Harris Mazda, president of Harris Kia, president of Tom Harris Cellular Ltd. and a partner in other businesses.
B次元官网网址淗is legacy will be that Harris name that sits on so many businesses in town, and I think that so many people who have worked for Tom in his businesses have great respect for him as an employer and a manager and a friendB次元官网网址次元官网网址� said Kim Smythe, chief executive officer of the Greater Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce. B次元官网网址淎 lot of us in business would love to emulate him and be as honoured in the community as he is. I donB次元官网网址檛 want to put him on a pedestal, because he just liked to be the regular guy, but so many of us looked up to him in so many different ways.B次元官网网址�
NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 Citizen of the Year in 2004, Harris was appointed to the Order of St. John in 2005 and also received the Rotary Centennial Service Award for Professional Excellence. In 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizing his service to the community and to Canada.
Harris chaired or sat on numerous boards including the Nanaimo District Hospital Foundation, Nanaimo Community Foundation, United Way, Vancouver Island University Foundation and others.
B次元官网网址淗e touched in so many different areas,B次元官网网址� Smythe said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no way weB次元官网网址檙e going to get by this without somebody saying OK, weB次元官网网址檙e going to form a committee and weB次元官网网址檙e going to do something in his honour. I think that will come up in the weeks to come, but today, itB次元官网网址檚 just a sense of shock for everybody that was anywhere near close to him.B次元官网网址�
San Juan County undersheriff Brent Johnson said a man in his mid-60s visiting from B.C. early Thursday morning and was found dead a few hours later. Johnson said there were no signs of trauma on the body, which was transported to the medical examiner in Snohomish County.
-files from the Journal of the San Juan Islands
