Tom Harris, avid equine enthusiast and veterinarian, died in Woodside, Calif. He was 88.
Born in Oklahoma in 1919, Dr. Harris graduated with his DVM in 1941 from Texas A&M University. He then joined the U.S. Army’s 11th Cavalry and served as an officer at the time when they still trained on horseback. Dr. Harris retired from the Army in 1949 and began practicing veterinary medicine in San Francisco, Oakland and San Mateo, Calif., where he owned the San Mateo Animal Hospital from 1952 to 1981. In 1995, he retired from his practice.
Dr. Harris enjoyed foxhunting and playing polo and was a founding member of the Los Altos Hounds in 1953. He served three terms as jt.-MFH, and also served as a director and district representative for the Pacific District of the Masters of Foxhounds Association. Dr. Harris also was a member of the San Mateo County Horsemen’s Association and served as president of the Woodside Trail Club.
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An avid polo enthusiast, Dr. Harris began playing polo in 1970 at Menlo Polo Club; in 1985, he founded the Horse Park Polo Club in Woodside. His daughter, Elizabeth Caselton, serves at the Horse Park Polo Club president and is a member of the Los Altos Hounds.
Dr. Harris is survived by his wife, Margaret Lorraine Harris; his daughters, Margaret Helton and Elizabeth Caselton; and his grandsons Tom Helton and Eric Caselton.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Horse Park At Woodside (Tom Harris Memorial Fund), P.O. Box 620010, Woodside, CA 94062 or to Los Altos Hounds, P.O. Box 620456, Woodside, CA 94062.
