Dr. Robert Wilfred Harris MD

Dr. Robert W. Harris (Cornwall, Ontario and Grand Isle, Vermont) passed away in Cornwall on July 19, 2017, in the company of his wife, Michèle (Veilleux) and his four children, at the age of 84. He was born in Kamloops, British Columbia, on June 5, 1933 to Mary Prescott and Dr. Arthur Hakstian. He was raised in the Anglican Church and was a member of Christ Church Seaway in Long Sault, Ontario.

Dr. Harris completed his medical studies at the University of British Columbia in 1957, then came East for post-graduate training in the McGill University teaching hospital system. He did experimental surgery and earned a M.Sc. degree. His clinical formation was in the specialty of plastic and reconstructive surgery, and he went on to a fellowship in surgery of the hand in Great Britain, France, and Switzerland. He subsequently took the examinations for his Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) fellowship standing. From his research work and clinical trials, Dr. Harris published more than 20 scientific journal articles and textbook chapters.

His 45 years of clinical practice were divided between three Montréal teaching hospitals, Hôpital Saint Luc, the Montréal General Hospital, and St. Mary’s Hospital where he was Chief of Plastic Surgery, and two Cornwall community hospitals. He was determined to communicate with his francophone patients in their own language and became fluent in French.

Dr. Harris became the first full-time plastic and reconstructive surgeon in the Seaway community. He developed the outpatient clinic concept with Dr. R.D. Tombler, Orthopedist, at the Hôtel Dieu Hospital in Cornwall and cultivated the practice of outpatient surgery, especially applicable to skin cancer patients.

In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Harris pursued his interests in surgical research and pioneered an electrophysiological technique for distinguishing sensory and motor fibres in peripheral nerve repair.

He was a founding member of the Canadian Society for Surgery of the Hand (Manus Canada) and a member of the American Hand Surgery Association. He was elected to the active membership of the distinguished American Society for Surgery of the Hand after presenting and publishing original work on rheumatoid arthritis of the hands.

In and out of the operating room, Dr. Harris’ creative process was inspired by classical music, one of his favorites being Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 Movement 2 - Romance. Known as Bob by his friends and family, he was a keen sailor since his youth in Vancouver. Bob was an active member of the Montreal Power and Sail Squadrons and was its Commander for two years. He and his family spent many spring breaks sailing in the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands. For over 50 years, Bob enjoyed the tranquility and natural beauty of Grand Isle, Vermont where he sailed his Bluenose sailboat on Lake Champlain. Another of his beloved hobbies was tennis. He was a level 4.0 tennis player, President of the Mount Royal Country Club in Montréal and a founding member of the Cornwall Tennis Club.

He is survived and will be greatly missed by Michèle, his wife of 56 years, and his children whom he considered to be his greatest achievement in life: Anne-Marie Hakstian of Swampscott, Massachusetts, Carole Hakstian of Burlington, Vermont, Esther Harris of Forest Hills, New York, and Richard Harris of Greenwich, Connecticut. He was also deeply loved by his grand-children Jordan, Sydney, and Dylan Harris; Solange and Prescott Jain; Mira Hakstian; and his brother Dr. A. Ralph Hakstian of Vancouver. He is predeceased by his sister Frances Elizabeth Larson of Kelliher, Saskatchewan.

Arrangements entrusted to Lahaie and Sullivan Cornwall Funeral Homes, West Branch, (613-932-8482).

The family requests that any donations be made in honor of Dr. Harris to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 1600 Merivale Road, Nepean, Ontario K2G 5J8 or jdrf.ca.