Roland Harris, a retired Barrie judge, is being remembered as a “man of character” who was always fair behind the bench.
He was also a bit of an “eccentric” with a fantastic sense of humour and a true zest for life, according to those closest to him.
“On the one side, he’s this incredibly intelligent, driven man of character who is just so interesting and proper, and on the other side was this fun loving, free spirit who was the life of the party.” Summer Harris said of her father, who died Jan. 6 in Barrie after battling prostate cancer for more than a decade.
He was 76.
Sometimes I look at him and wonder how (he did) the job that he did. It’s almost like he’s two completely different people. He’s so eccentric and so multi-faceted," she told BarrieToday.
Harris prided himself on his work. He started his career as a defence lawyer before becoming a Crown prosecutor and then, ultimately, being appointed a judge with the Ontario Criminal Court Provincial Division in Barrie, where he spent the past 28 years.
“He (was) a man of character and, as a (defence) lawyer, got people off he knew were guilty … so that’s why he switched sides. He said as Crown attorney …he didn’t have to compromise his morals,” said his daughter.
While working as a Crown prosecutor in North Bay, Harris made history as the first Crown attorney in Ontario to have an individual convicted of murder without the body having been found, according to Summer.
Becoming a judge, she noted, was her father’s professional life goal come to fruition.
The first time she saw him in action still stands out in her memory all these years later.
“My dad was so empathetic and fair and kind. I was just so proud of him. It was one of those moments in life where you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s my dad,’ and it was really incredible,” Summer said while choking back tears.
“Roly” — as she often called him — always tried to see the best in people, Summer said, adding being punitive was always a last resort for him.
“He had so many individuals that he’d convicted over the years thank him for his fairness and his advice,” she said. “He said anyone can sit and rot in jail for three days, (but) if you give them community service, they have to give back to their community, put in the time and know there’s a consequence.”
Justice Glenn Krelove, whose office was only two doors down from his longtime friend and colleague, met Harris when working as a defence lawyer in Barrie. He described Harris as a “renaissance man” and a “great raconteur.”
“He knew something about everything,” Krelove told BarrieToday, adding Harris was extremely interested in the human condition and where people were at in their lives. “He adapted all of this to being a judge as well. He wanted to get to know you.
“I remember when I was appointed a judge, he sent me this great note welcoming me as a judge and (saying) that he’d mentor me. He was just so great socially with people.”
When he wasn’t behind the bench in the courtroom, Harris loved travelling the world with wife — and the love of his life — Janie, to whom he’d been married for nearly five decades.
Harris was also a huge hockey fan and even co-authored a book on his favourite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also collected sports, music and political autographs — a collection that boasted a framed letter from Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, Fidel Castro and Katharine Hepburn.
“Rocket Richard ate dinner at our house,” said his daughter. “He wrote personal letters to celebrities telling them about his interest in them asking for an autograph. He put so much of himself into these letters that people almost always wrote back with his prized autographs. He connects with people. That is my dad in one word…connection .”
Harris was also a long-standing member of the Barrie Film Board, the Rotary club, Men’s Breakfast Club and The Island of Broken Toys, to name just a few of the local organizations that were near and dear to his heart.
“He cared so much about connecting and contributing to his community,” said Summer.
Harris was also known to break into song at pretty much any time or place.
“He loved singing so much. He had a song for everything. You’d say a word … and a song would come to mind,” she added. “He had a song for everyone’s name and would just start singing.
Krelove shared a similar recollection, noting he could often hear Harris from his own office — even with the door closed.
One of the things Summer loved most about her dad was the fact that no matter what walk of life a person came from, “Roly” could find a way to connect with them.
“There were over 200 people at his retirement party. The people in attendance so perfectly represented the essence of who my dad was. There were people there from all walks of life."
Her father, she said, didn’t see a person’s status in life; he just saw people of worth and their life stories .
“If you were interesting to him, he would befriend you."
And even when her dad was ailing and feeling at his worst, he somehow always managed to maintain his sense of humour.
“He fought so hard to find the joy,” she said. “Even now, it’s almost hard to be sad, because I am so grateful to have had the most incredible dad in the world for 46 years when I know some people don’t even get it for a day. Nobody in his life has ever doubted how loved they are.”
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, Jan. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Southshore Centre in Barrie.
The family is asking people to come armed with a fun “Roly story” to share and in casual dress with a “colourful flair.”
Anyone with photographs or a fun story of themselves with Harris is asked to email it to [email protected] with a caption and their name.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sleeping Children Around the World or the Hospital for Sick Children.
