John Paul Harris

John Paul Harris, born May 16, 1932 in Toledo, OH,

passed on May 15, 2026 quietly during the night. Most of

his childhood was spent in the Detroit area and in 1953

he and his high school sweetheart, Dulcie, married at

Strathmoor United Methodist Church.

He graduated from the University of Michigan with his

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1954.

Upon graduation, John took an on-campus interview with

an unknown company called IBM, where he found himself

working for the most prominent company of the early

computing age. During his 35-year career with IBM, he

was responsible for at least three patents and was

instrumental in improving the tape drive technology for

early mainframe computers.

John was a man of intellect and skill and enjoyed

engineering as a trade and craft. When he wasn’t working

in the office, he could be found building houses or

working on clever improvements to his own homes as the

family moved often across the United States and around

the world. In 1965, he returned to Ann Arbor on a full

fellowship and completed his PhD in Mechanical

Engineering.

John and Dulcie were avid travelers and had a particular passion for boating. Together with their boat,

World Odd@Sea, they twice completed the Great Loop of 6000 miles through the Eastern United States

and Canada and crossed the Atlantic in 2004 to spend the following two years cruising the Mediterranean

before ending in London. Later in life, he completed the Great Loop once again in 2020, before retiring

from boating.

John was active in community programs serving on a number of boards and committees including: the

Stamford Yacht Club, Mountain View United Methodist Church, and the United States Power Squadrons

Group in Boulder, where he was a member for more than 20 years serving at one time as the Admiral.

From 2013 until 2025, he also proudly served as editor of The Mirror at Frasier Retirement Community.

He is survived through his daughter Cathie Morrison (Overland Park, KS), son and daughter-in-law Tom

and Cheryl Harris (Weymouth, MA), and grandchildren Jessica (London, UK), Lydia (St. Paul, MN), and

Paul and his wife Alexis (Denver, CO), as well as by close friends Jennifer Hardee and her daughter

Madelyn (Boulder, CO).

He will also be remembered by many others in Boulder at Frasier, in the Power Squadrons Group and at

Mountain View United Methodist Church as well as by family and friends around the globe. He was

predeceased by Dulcie, his wife of 64 years.

A memorial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at Frasier Retirement Community, in The

Canyons, 350 Ponca Place, Boulder, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in John’s

name can be made to Mountain View United Methodist Church, 355 Ponca Place, Boulder; or to Flatirons

Habitat for Humanity