HARRIS, Stanley

October 14, 1935 — May 29, 2025

Stanley Harris passed away peacefully on May 29, 2025, at the age of 89. He was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, on October 14, 1935, to Henry John Harris and Maud Ann Sutton and grew up in Rockhampton. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rita Harris (née Terin); daughter, Danelle; son, Stephen, and daughter-in-law Denise; and only grandchild, Kaitlin.  His sister Mary predeceased him on August 3, 1932, at the age of 17 months; and Stanley is survived by his sister, June, and brother-in-law, Col; and brothers, Neville and Ray.

Stan met Rita in September 1962 at an ANZA (Australia New Zealand club) dance at the HMCS Discovery in Vancouver, BC. They were married on November 14, 1964, and raised their family in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Stan loved to work on automobiles; he had a 1959 Mark I and 1960 Mark II Jaguar which he restored. He also enjoyed music, dancing, steel fabrication, woodworking, and building items.

Stan went to school in Rockhampton, Queensland, and attended Leichhardt Ward State School and Rockhampton High School. While Stanley grew up in Rockhampton, he spent weekends and vacation breaks on the Capricorn Coast, specifically the seaside town of Yeppoon, where he also assisted his father in building their summer home called “Harbour View” on Wreck Point. Stanley would also reminisce about his childhood dog named “Socks”.  In 1954, he completed compulsory National Service in the Air Force for six months, from July to December. In 1957, Stanley worked in Rockhampton for the Federal government of Australia Health Department in supply management, and he was promoted and left to work in Brisbane, Australia until 1961. He obtained a 12-month leave of absence to travel; he arrived in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on March 14, 1961, on the SS Orsova.  There, he met up with good friend Noel Jenkins, whom he went to school with and remained best friends until Noel’s passing in 2022 (friends for over 80 years).

Stan travelled around North America taking various jobs as a gardener, waiter, pulp mill worker, painter, and service station attendant. Upon his return to Vancouver in March 1963 through 1964, Stan attended the Vancouver Vocational Institute taking a program in arc and gas welding, steel fabrication, aluminum welding, drafting, mechanical, financial, business and employee relation courses. He obtained his welding ticket and various certificates and diplomas in steel fabrication and business.  He worked for several companies in steel fabrication from 1963, honing his skills until 1970. Then, he obtained a supervisor position for Rovalve Ltd in Port Coquitlam, BC until 1973. At that point, he began as a fabricator at Riverside Iron Works in North Vancouver, BC, where he was promoted to Shop Supervisor.  Then in 1979, he left to join McDonald Fabrication Ltd as Shop Supervisor and Estimator, though unfortunately this is where Stanley (in March 1980) was involved in a serious industrial accident – badly damaging the lower part of his leg, resulting in several years of reconstruction and rehabilitation. He began work as a steel fabrication instructor for the Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia, working to rehabilitate injured workers, where he remained until he retired in 1997, at the age of 62.

Stanley enjoyed family life, buying a vacation property in Birch Bay, Washington, where the family enjoyed the property during the summers in the 1970s; he volunteered for many of his children’s activities such as Scouts and managed his daughter’s soccer team.  Stanley enjoyed reading and learning, and he developed a general knowledge of many technological functions including electronics, electrical systems, plumbing, carpentry, and construction methods in both residential and commercial settings.

Stanley and Rita enjoyed travelling, with numerous trips throughout North America and around the world. One of the various family trips in the 1970s was across Canada to Manitoba and down into the Dakotas through the United States and back to Vancouver – all in a VW van.  He travelled to Australia in 1966 and again to Australia and New Zealand in 1975 on a DC 10 to introduce his children, Danelle and then Stephen, to his parents, Henry & Maud, along with his siblings Neville, June, Ray and their children.  The family also took trips to California (Disneyland), and another trip to Australia again in 1986.

Stanley was an accomplished pianist known for playing Fur Elise and Dream of Owen, as well as being an avid golfer, obtaining a hole in one on the 4th hole at Stanley Park Pitch and Putt on September 18, 1994.  In 2004, they sold their longtime home on Ridgewood Drive and moved to a beautiful condo in the Lower Lonsdale area of North Vancouver for their senior years. Through the 1990s until 2014, Stan and Rita travelled extensively with numerous trips throughout the United Kingdom, most of Europe, Australia, various cruises which included Asia (Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, etc.) and to South Africa in 2012.  Stanley and Rita stayed in contact with many of their ANZA friends with annual Boxing Day get-togethers. Stanley and Rita also enjoyed music and dancing.

Concurrently with their travel and not one to remain idle in retirement, Stanley and Rita began the task to create a beautiful waterfront vacation home on a large lot in the Sunshine Coast area of British Columbia on Sargeant Bay.  He also spent his time enjoying life in North Vancouver, visiting family, friends and enjoying the property on the Sunshine Coast until its sale in 2022.  At the age of 87, Stanley and Rita moved to the Hawthorn Park retirement residence in Kelowna, British Columbia to be closer to his children, Danelle and Stephen, while also spending more time with his granddaughter, Kaitlin.  On October 14, 2024, he celebrated his 89th birthday and then on November 14, 2024, he and Rita celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.  Early in the morning on May 29, 2025, Stanley passed away peacefully in his sleep.

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