Stephen Christopher Harris

Stephen Christopher Harris

September 26, 1958 - February 24, 2023

Stephen Christopher Harris passed peacefully on February 24 with his wife, children, and sister Kim by his side. 

Born in Long Island, New York to Christopher and Linda Robinson Harris, Stephen then grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut where he graduated from Greenwich High School. 

Stephen’s high school years were spent singing in a trio with his sister Kim and step uncle Harold. “The Untouchables” recorded one album with Larry Miller during a summer spent in Ogunquit, Maine. 

Stephen moved to Boston where he met his wife Alison while working at Lily’s Cafe in Faneuil Hall. He graduated from New England School of Photography and worked at Benjamin Morse Studio. Together, he and Alison moved first to New Hampshire and then Maine where they welcomed children Benjamin and Robin to their family. 

Upon their births, Stephen became a full-time dad and spent many hours playing Legos, at playgrounds, on hikes to Bradbury Mountain, and numerous other adventures. He gave his children his love of nature and in particular the Maine woods. Every summer, he and Ben had a favorite ritual of driving up Route 1, stopping at the flea market, visiting Big Al’s, and camping in Acadia National Park. 

During these stay-at-home years, Stephen launched a national newsletter called “Full Time Dads”. He was a pioneer in this era and as more men adopted the stay-at-home dad role, they welcomed the monthly newsletter that brought essays on fatherhood, reviews of children’s videos and books, and other insights to their lives. He brought his special insights and warmth to twice-yearly retreats with the Granite Men’s Group. 

When the kids started school Stephen worked at Cuddledown, first in the web design department and then in customer service. He enjoyed his time until he grew increasingly disabled due to Multiple Sclerosis. 

He spent his final years in Lewiston, Maine where he was able to travel independently to stores and appointments via the city’s highly accessible bus service. He embraced the community there, and particularly loved visiting the ducks and wildlife at the pond on the Bates campus. His whimsical photography series “The Littles”, featuring tiny model people placed in unlikely surroundings, was displayed in the Lewiston Public Library in the summer of 2021 as part of the Lewiston summer art walk series. 

Stephen’s family will greatly miss his gentle spirit and quick humor. They remain grateful for all of the adventures they were able to have despite Stephen’s severe disability, including travel to Scotland and Ireland, trips to Florida to visit his sister Annie and sister-in-law Shari, and a bucket-list trip to Switzerland to reconnect with the memory of his beloved mother Linda. 

Stephen is survived by his wife Alison, beloved children Ben and Robin, and Robin’s fiancee Leslie. He also leaves behind his sister Kim and fiancee Ellen, his sister Annie and wife Cheryl, his father and stepmother Christopher and Sally, and his sisters in law Shari, Susan, Kathy, and Colleen. 

The family will hold a celebration of life gathering when the weather becomes warmer. View Stephen’s Facebook page for notice of the time and place. 

In lieu of flowers, Stephen would appreciate donations to Maine Needs (www.maineneeds.org) in his name.

And he would be most grateful if you followed the simple thought that ended every email message he sent:

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. 

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