DEER ISLE, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Bob Harris, a 92-year-old inventor and decorated World War II veteran who fought on Germany’s western border, has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maine Health Care Association.
The award is for “pioneering, innovative and interesting” residents of Maine’s long-term care facilities, according to the MHCA.
Harris is one of 35 recipients chosen from a statewide pool of 62 applicants and the 10th INH resident to win the honor.
The association will bestow Certificates of Lifetime Achievement at a ceremony at the Augusta Civic Center on Tuesday, April 5th. Harris was nominated for the honor by INH staff.
According to a press release, Robert Laurence Harris holds the Bronze Star with Cluster for Acts Under Fire for risking his life to save wounded men in battle back in November of 1944.
After the war, he helped develop the most widely used process for making hydrogen peroxide, the safest all-natural sanitizer and a “greener” alternative to chlorine for the paper industry. Harris was also instrumental in the development of the “blown insulation” that helps so many homes stave off winter’s cold. Harris made those contributions during his 32 years as a research chemist for Allied Chemical and Dye Corps.
Locally, Harris and his late wife Ruth were very involved with the Island Food Pantry’s beginnings. Their other numerous volunteer activities included developing a mailing list of over 2,500 names for the Island Heritage Trust’s fundraising and outreach.
On his own, Harris has developed a comprehensive photo archive of the island community. Bob and Ruth retired to Deer Isle in 1990 after raising a family in Morristown, N.J.
Harris still enjoys photography, and is often seen around the nursing home with his iPad, capturing and sharing the views of the world around him.
The Island Nursing Home and Care Center in Deer Isle is one of only five standalone nonprofit nursing homes in the state and has received the highest possible rating of five stars from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.
