A Well in Memory of Andrew Roy Harris

Andrew Roy Harris, age 55, of Austin, passed away Wednesday, June 2, 2010 at his home surrounded by those that he loved. Andrew was born March 9, 1955 to Aileen Rhoda Estcourt Harris and William Roy Harris in Hayes Middlesex, England. He grew up in Windsor, attended Windsor Grammar School for Boys, and graduated from Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry with a degree in Accounting. Andrew served as a senior executive with Dell, Inc. and, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of HomeAway.com. Extremely talented and charismatic, Andrew possessed the unique ability to inspire people and organizations to achieve great things and reveled in the many opportunities he had to celebrate and share in their successes. He was universally regarded as a brilliant leader who leaves behind a legacy rich with the stories of people whose careers and lives were forever changed by his guidance, counsel, wisdom and support. Andrew had a love for sport and was an outstanding rugby player throughout his youth and college years. He was also an avid and accomplished alpine skier who enjoyed heli-skiing in Canada and backcountry skiing in the US and Europe. He loved nature, travel and experiencing the many wonders that this world has to offer. Despite living in his adopted country for over twenty years, his love for all things British endured. To know Andrew was to understand that his repeated, and ultimately futile, attempts to have an English garden under the Texas sun were not only a testament to his love of England and nature but also vintage Andrew -- the eternal optimist who believed that all things are possible. Andrew was a man of great character, integrity, sincerity and humor. He was charming and gracious to everyone he met and placed far more value in the friendships and relationships he built, and the lives he touched, than on any material accounting of his life’s successes. Andrew was a great husband, father, son, brother and friend who lived the fullest of lives and leaves us with a love, respect and admiration for him that the passage of time will never diminish. Andrew is survived by his wife, Lisa Harris; daughters, Sarah Alexandra (Alix), and Natalie Kathryn; sister, Christine Una Deykin; and brother, Gordon Keith Harris. Andrew is a close friend of Philip Berber, co-founder of A Glimmer of Hope. Andrew became passionate about Glimmer and their work in Ethiopia, specifically around the need for clean water. Andrew has often said "water equals life." By clicking on the donate now button to the right, you donations will go directly towards the construction of a water well in rural Ethiopia In Memory of Andrew Roy Harris. A Glimmer of Hope lifts women and children out of extreme poverty in rural Ethiopia. Using an entrepreneurial model developed by the organization, it provides clean water, schools, health clinics and microfinance loans. 100% of all donations go directly to funding these projects, more than 4,000 to date. Over the last 10 years, A Glimmer of Hope has improved 2.5 million lives. Through photos, video and GPS coordinates, donors personally experience how their contributions, large and small, are changing lives. After making a donation, you can choose to receive email updates throughout the year on the project. A Glimmer of Hope listens to and partners with communities to build and maintain projects, ensuring sustainability. Recently, founders Donna and Philip Berber were ranked #6 globally on Barron's list of The Best 25 Givers, based on effectiveness and impact.