Arthur Byron Harris

Arthur Byron “A.B.” Harris passed away on November 24, 2020 at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas at age 92. He was born at home on a farm between Lindale and Van, Texas in Smith County on December 1, 1928 to Clarice and Graydon Harris and was predeceased by his parents and his only sibling, his sister, Martha Fay Harris Bennett.

A.B.’s family moved from Lindale to Houston in 1939 where they settled in the East End. He attended Burnet Elementary, Stonewall Jackson Junior High and graduated in 1946 from Stephen F. Austin Senior High where he was voted most popular senior boy, lettered in golf and basketball and played fast pitch softball at Ripley House and Eastwood Park. In 1946 he was named to the Houston Post and Houston Chronicle All-City basketball teams. He graduated from The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (now Texas A&M University) in 1950 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He was named a Distinguished Student, a member of Tau Beta Pi, a Captain in the Corps of Cadets and commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Chemical Corps Reserve.

After graduation, A.B. accepted employment with Union Carbide Corporation in Texas City, Texas, and in August of 1950 was called to active duty during the Korean conflict and served as a First Lieutenant in the Army Chemical Corps 390th Chemical Laboratory Company and the 411th Smoke Generator Company. When discharged from the Army in 1952, he joined Shell Chemical Corporation in Deer Park, Texas. In October of 1953 A.B. married his high school, college and Army sweetheart, the former Borda Lon Bower. They had their first date in 1945 when A.B. was a junior and Borda Lon a sophomore at Austin High. They were married in First Presbyterian Church of Houston and stayed active there until they moved to the Memorial area in 1965 and joined Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in 1969 where they have attended ever since. He and Borda had two unbelievable children, Holly and Britton. They meant the world to him. Borda and A.B. were very involved in their children’s school activities and A.B. in Britt’s sports and Borda in Holly’s dancing.

A.B. spent his entire career with Shell in the Houston area except for two years in the Plastics and Resin Division Office in New York City. The last 27 years were spent in the Information and Computer Services organization. In 1991, A.B. retired after 39 years with Shell. His retirement years were filled with golf, bowling, traveling the world with Borda Lon, enjoying his family and friends and watching as many Aggie athletic events as he could. He was a true “Fighting Texas Aggie” and loved Texas A&M where he supported the Corps of Cadets, The Association of Former Students and The 12th Man Foundation. He proudly witnessed the graduation of Holly, Class of 1979, Britt, Class of 1981 and two grandsons (Trevor, Class of 2012 and Drake, Class of 2014) from Texas A&M. He was a huge fan of the 1940’s big band music.

Left to cherish A.B.’s memory is his sweetheart, best friend and devoted wife of 67 years, Borda Lon; his daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Tom Forney and their children, Muriel, her husband Allen Reid, Drake, his wife Kathryn; his son and daughter-in-law Britton and Kerry Harris and their children, Patrick, Trevor and Walker.

In lieu of customary remembrances the family requests that donations in A.B.’s name be made to Camp Aranzazu, 5420 Loop 1781, Rockport, Texas 78382 (www.camparanzazu.org) or to the charity of your choice.