A common sight at Town Meeting: Jeff Harris at the microphone. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

Jeff Harris buys tomatoes at Willard's farm stand in 2008.

More than 200 people gathered Sunday to say goodbye to Dr. Jeffrey Harris, who made Harvard his home for 57 years.

His accomplishments were notable—town doctor for more than 30 years, a founding member of Nashoba Valley Medical Center, and more. But what stands out in my mind is what a patriot he was.

Besides serving in the military as a young man, he expressed his patriotism as a loyal and devoted citizen of Harvard. He not only served in town government—as a Board of Health member for nearly 40 years, as a School Council member for as long as people can remember, and as a trustee of the public library—but he also served by staying engaged and paying attention to what was going on in town, and by speaking up if it was something he didn’t think was right. He was a regular at Town Meeting and was a frequent visitor to Board of Selectmen meetings and the meetings of other town boards.

It was not unusual for him to call me to let me know when he thought town officials weren’t playing by the rules—and he’d point me to the rule book or the citation in Mass. General Laws to prove it.

He was quick to give voice to things he thought people needed to know or remember about Harvard. He was the inspiration behind the name change of the elementary school from Harvard Elementary School to Hildreth Elementary School. He wanted people in town to know about and to remember the legacy of the Hildreth family, who donated the land for the elementary school.

Jeff was eager to share his passion for Harvard, and I will never forget the summer day when he walked into my office shortly after I joined the Press and asked, “Have you ever gone for a ride around Harvard?” I admitted I hadn’t. He said, “Well, come on, I’ll take you.” I got in his car and he did indeed take me all around Harvard, carefully pointing out places of historical significance, including the site of the old Watt farm. He showed me his cottage on Bare Hill Pond and gave me a history lesson in the town’s battle with pond weeds, along with his views on what should be done about them. I’m told I’m not the only person he treated to such a tour.

Jeff was a man who held strong opinions about many things in town and wasn’t afraid to express them. In a time when the distractions of daily life can make it so easy for some to sit back and say, “…whatever…” and hope someone else will do something, he was one who always tried to do something and to make a difference.

It won’t be the same around here without Jeff.

—L.K