Robert Blair Harris

Robert Blair Harris, 95, passed away Wednesday, February 15, 2023. Funeral Service will be Tuesday, February 21 at 11:00 a.m. at Downing and Lahey East Mortuary. Bob was born and raised in Wichita, KS to Hazel Walcher Harris and Arthur B. Harris. He graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in Architecture. He spent his entire career with the firm Thomas, Harris, Ash, & Mason, rising to the position of CEO. Bob’s designs are fixtures in the Wichita skyline - including Wesley Hospital, the Kansas Coliseum (now NIAR), the Sedgwick County Juvenile Residential Facility, USD 259’s Levy Special Education Center, the Sedgwick County Courthouse, Larksfield Assisted Living Center, and several schools.Bob married Ruth Wilson in 1958. Ruth passed away in 1973. Bob was married to Jo Ann Schovee from 1981 until her death in 2016.Bob was a long-term member of the American Institute of Architects, the Rotary Club of Wichita (where he was a Paul Harris Fellow), and Tallgrass Country Club. Bob was a collector of art and for many years sponsored a prize for the Kansas Watercolor Society’s annual show. He enjoyed golf and was proud of his two hole-in-one shots at Tallgrass. He was a long-time supporter of the performing arts in Wichita as a subscriber to both the Wichita Symphony and Music Theater of Wichita. He also enjoyed fishing, tennis, and bridge. Bob loved his mountain home that he designed and built near Mt. Princeton, Colorado - spending several weeks there every year. A polio survivor, Bob never let the disease define him nor constrain his life.Bob is survived by his two daughters, Stacy Harris Honts (Arlen) of Wichita, KS and Susanna Harris Drescher (Phil) of Olathe, KS; step-daughter, Martha Byers (Craig) of Sarasota, FL; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Polio Plus program of Rotary International, One Rotary Center, 1560 Sherman Ave., Evanston, IL 60201-3698 or Wichita Junior Golf,58 E. Via Verde St., Wichita, KS 67230.