Gerald Harris

Gerald "Jerry" Harris, age 81, beloved husband to Shirley Harris, passed away on March 30, 2017. He was a very active, involved, hard worker until his retirement from the nationally recognized Houston professional engineering firm of ccrd partners in 2014 where he was a Senior Plumbing Engineer and Fire Protection Designer. During the Korean War, after being stationed in a radar bubble in the frigid climate of Shishmaref, Alaska on the tiny barrier island of Sarichef Island in the Chukchi Sea, just north of the Bering Strait in the mid-1950's, Jerry was transferred to a much warmer Ellington Air Force Base near Houston, Texas. While stationed at Ellington, he met his bride, Shirley. They married in 1957 and had four wonderful children. Jerry had a meticulous technical mind and, following his honorable discharge from the United States Air Force, he pursued his passion for design and engineering. Jerry was a Registered Professional Engineer licensed in Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, and Chemical Engineering by the State of Texas as well as becoming a Registered Professional Engineer in Maryland, New York, and other states. In 1968, Jerry became a charter member of the Houston chapter of the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), an organization for professionals skilled in the design, specification, and inspection of plumbing systems. He was also an active member of the Houston (South Texas) chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), and was a member of the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE) and the Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). In May of 1996, Jerry was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, which licenses and regulates plumbers and plumbing inspectors. Occupying the Professional Engineer position on the Board, he served the citizens of Texas for eight years as Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of numerous committees. As a five-year member in the Engineer position of the City of Houston Plumbing Review & Appeals Board, Jerry helped set the standards for mechanical and plumbing systems by which medical facilities, office buildings, shopping centers, and residential structures in the City of Houston must be constructed. Besides helping to set the standards in design and construction to keep us all safe, Jerry left his design mark on countless medical facilities and government buildings across the United States as well as numerous local Houston landmarks. He was involved in the design of the Galveston National Laboratory Biocontainment Lab at the University of Texas Medical Branch, one of only two such facilities in the United States and the largest one in the world located on a college campus as well as the National Biodefense Analysis & Countermeasure Center BSL-4 Diagnostic/Forensic Laboratory in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Other noted projects include the Astrodome, once touted as the eighth wonder of the world, the twin 36-story towers of Pennzoil Place in the heart of downtown Houston, as well as the Mecom Fountain and several medical facilities located in the famed Texas Medical Center. Some of his regional projects were the MD Anderson Cancer Center Alkek Expansion, the Rice University Brockman Hall for Physics, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Tropical Disease BSL-4 Laboratory, the University of Texas at Austin Neural and Molecular Science Building, the Shell Americas Technology Center Laboratory Modernization Project, the Bay Area Regional Medical Hospital in Webster, the Texas A&M University Veterinary Research Building Additions and numerous hotels, performing arts venues, and shopping centers all across the region. Before his death, Jerry was active with veterans organizations, visiting with veterans at V.A. facilities in and around the Houston area. He was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Jerry is survived by his wife of 59 years, Shirley, sons Saul, Norman (wife, Rose), and Mark (wife, Tammy), and daughter Faye. He is also survived by seven wonderful grandchildren: Chase Harris (wife, Lupe), Chelsea Cooper (husband, Justin), Alexis Salazar, Christiaan Bordelon (wife, Michelle), Daniel Harris, Shayna Harris, and Michael Polunsky. He also has 4 great-grandchildren: Connor, Maryn, Jackson, and Aurora. Following a military honor ceremony, Jerry will be interred at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr., Houston. The ceremony will be held on Friday, April 7, 2017 at 11:15am. Arrangements are being handled by Houston Jewish Funerals, 5455 Dashwood, Houston. In lieu of flowers, Jerry and his family would appreciate a donation made to the Veterans group of your choice.

Gerald Harris

February 3, 1936 - March 30, 2017