Rev. Randall Harris
Waterford — The Rev. Randall Sellers Harris, 82, peacefully passed away after a long illness on Friday, June 2, 2017, at his home in Waterford, surrounded by his three children and a granddaughter.
Born on Dec. 5, 1934, in Hamilton, Ohio, he was a son of the late Jeanne and Guy Harris. He was predeceased by his wife, Eleanor (Shryock) Harris, in 1986. He was also predeceased by his brother, Richard Harris.
He is survived by three children, Margaret (Christopher) Blake of Evergreen, Colo.; James (Paula) Harris of Vero Beach, Fla.; and Martha (Christopher) Rindos of Mystic; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a great nephew. He is also survived by a sister-in-law, Evelyn Harris, and a niece, Andrea Harris, both of East Lyme.
The Rev. Harris graduated from Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts and received an A.B. degree from Harvard University in 1956. After graduation from Harvard, he served in the U.S. Army as an artillery officer in Korea. He then received a bachelor of sacred theology degree from the Berkeley Divinity School of Yale University in 1961, was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church in 1962, and served as an assistant minister at St. James Episcopal Church in New London.
The Rev. Harris was then commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy and served as a chaplain, assigned to the Marine Corps, in Vietnam. During his time in the Navy, he was also stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida, and in Norfolk, Va.
After his discharge from the Navy, the Rev. Harris taught at Mount Hermon School (now Northfield Mount Hermon) in Massachusetts. He later moved to Connecticut and founded the Episcopal Social Service, one of the first alcohol and drug counseling agencies in the state. During this time, he also served as an assistant minister at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Niantic.
In 1994, several years after the death of his wife Eleanor, he took the vows of a Carmelite brother and spent much of the rest of his life living quietly as a contemplative.
The Rev. Harris was known for his compassion, intelligence, sense of humor, and especially for his love for and care of animals of all kinds. It’s been lovingly said that “he rescued people and animals.”
At his request, there will be no memorial service and burial arrangements will be private. Charitable contributions in memory of the Rev. Harris can be made to the Connecticut Humane Society: cthumane.org.