BOSTON -- Northeastern University mourns the loss of alumnus Stanley Harris Jr., who passed away on March 25 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 73.
 
Born on March 14, 1943 in Malden, Harris and his family moved to Melrose in 1950 where he would attend school. At Melrose High School, where he graduated in 1961, he played football and ran track as a high jumper. After graduation from high school, Harris entered Northeastern University as a business and economics major.
 
A three-year letterwinner on the Northeastern football team, Harris was a member of the undefeated Huskies squad in 1963. Harris was a tackle on that team that posted an 8-0 record to earn the University's first and only bowl appearance with an invitation to the Eastern Bowl in Allentown, Pa. Northeastern suffered a 27-6 setback to East Carolina, but the loss was not to overshadow the tremendous accomplishments of the regular season: the Huskies outscored opponents, 237-42, posted three shutout victories and became the first undefeated, untied team in Northeastern history.
 
There are no calling hours and there will be a private family funeral.
 
Arrangements are under the direction of the Wrisley Funeral Home, Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield. Expressions of sympathy are available here.
 
Below is the complete obituary from the Daily Hampshire Gazette:
It is with great sadness that the family of Stanley Crawford Harris, Jr., announces his passing on Friday, March 25, after his courageous battle with cancer.
 
Stanley was born March 14, 1943, in Malden, to Stanley Harris, Sr. and Gladys Clark Harris. The Harris family moved to Melrose when Stanley turned seven years old. Melrose would be the perfect childhood memory for Stanley. He fondly remembered skating on the ponds, skiing and sledding at Mount Hood, and being part of a large group of neighborhood kids and classmates. Stanley excelled in sports and found being part of a unified team ignited his leadership abilities and winning personality at an early age.
 
Stanley attended Melrose schools. At Melrose High School, where he graduated in 1961, he played football and ran track and was a high jumper. After graduation from high school, Stanley entered Northeastern University where he majored in business and economics. Stanley took great pride in being on the Northeastern University football team, which was undefeated in the history of the school.
 
In 1968 Stanley chose to enlist in the U.S. Army where he saw action in Vietnam and was tragically exposed to Agent Orange.
 
On return to civilian life Stan worked for Xerox, IBM, Sperry Rand and Digital. While at Digital he became involved in the minority vendor program, which paved the way for Stanley to start his own company, Tailwind Technologies, based in Woburn. The company name Tailwind was taken from his knowledge of navigation and sailing. Tailwind Technologies saw success in creating open system solutions for computer programming and intellectual property.
 
In 2000, Stan moved from Marblehead to join his sister in Amherst and later Sunderland. Stanley traded his beloved ocean for the beauty of the Pioneer Valley. He flourished in the cultural atmosphere of the Five Colleges.
 
With his now convenient access to Vermont skiing, Tanglewood in the summer and being between New York and Boston, Stanley enjoyed his home in western Massachusetts for 15 years filled with new experiences and new friendships. Stanley had a profound love of all things athletic and musical. Jazz and blues stirred his soul and sports inspired his spirit of competition. But it was the art of conversation that Stanley really enjoyed. Anyone who ever met him would realize that he loved to share his experiences and to learn from others in the pursuit of common and shared knowledge. A life enriched with new found interests and friendships always brought that magnificent smile to his face.
 
Stanley leaves behind his sister Joyce Soucier of Sunderland; his brother Richard Harris of Salem; a beloved family, a very special god-daughter; and friends old and new who surrounded him in his final adventure.
 
The family of Stanley Harris would like to thank his doctors, and the staff at the Cancer Center of Cooley Dickinson Hospital and all of those wonderful people who transitioned Stanley at Genesis of Elaine Manor and comforted his family. His wit and wisdom will be truly missed and we have been enriched by his grace.