James Thomas Harris

Obituary of James Thomas Harris
James Thomas Harris, 83, a nearly 50-year resident of Clinton Township, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 9, 2025, after a heartfelt sendoff from his family following a long battle with Parkinson's Disease.
Born on Nov. 22, 1941, in Jersey City, NJ, to the late Mildred Tracy and James Harris, he was a devoted husband of 58 years to Barbara Zimmermann Harris, a loving father to Tod Harris, Jennifer Ehmann and Brian Harris, and protective big brother to his four younger siblings, Joan Wiese, Tom Harris, Pam Mueller and Deborah Bitsack. A devout Catholic, he attended Our Lady of Lourdes in Whitehouse and was previously a long-time parishioner of St. Joseph's Church in High Bridge.
Growing up in River Edge, NJ, Jim was a member of the first graduating class (1959) of Bergen Catholic High School. He earned his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (1966) and master's degree in Management Science (1971) from Stevens Institute of Technology, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and played on the baseball team. He went on to have a lengthy career in chemical and pharmaceutical sales management, working as a top salesman for Durametallic Corp., Aeromatic Inc. and several other companies, including Merck and Cordis, providing a comfortable life for his family before retiring in 2008.
A gifted athlete, Jim played baseball from elementary school up to the snowbird league, and was also an avid runner, basketball and tennis player and cyclist. He was a diehard fan of the Mets, Eagles, Flyers, horse racing and any team on which his children and grandchildren competed.
He was a skilled gardener, dog lover, stickler for the rules, creator of hilariously ridiculous nicknames and author of annual Christmas card letters that recipients found equally epic and embarrassing. He enjoyed "dusting" his grandchildren's heads and inspecting their rooms for cleanliness as much as he did musical theater and sunbathing at his LBI house where decades of family memories were made.
A man whose bark was worse than his bite, Jim adored his wife, Barbara, and the life they made together, traveling between their homes in Clinton Township, Florida, LBI and around the world.
He will be missed by his wife, four siblings and their spouses, three children and their spouses, Lora Harris, John Ehmann and Lisa Intrabartola and his eight grandchildren, Annalee, Lucas and Jackson Harris; Zachary, Cody and Ryan Ehmann; and Lucy and Rory Harris.
Visitation for family and friends will be held on Thursday, June 19th, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at Martin Funeral Home, located at 1761 NJ-31, Clinton, NJ 08809. Funeral mass will be offered at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 20, at Our Lady of Lourdes in Whitehouse Station, 390 County Road 523, with internment immediately following.To send condolences to the family please visit www.martinfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to or Catholic Relief Services .