Robert "Bob" Baldwin Harris

Robert “Bob” Baldwin Harris, 77, of Indianapolis, Indiana, died at home on September 29, 2024, with family by his side. He was born on July 9, 1947, in Franklin County, Ohio, to the late Rollin Dale and Bobbie-Jo Harris.

Bob Harris---husband, father, brother, son, friend, Buckeye, economist, environmentalist, adventurer, pilot, lover of dogs, fanatic of Saabs, and inspiration to all---courageously battled cancer for 17 years. His strength and drive, along with his team of doctors from Ohio to Indiana to Texas and New York, navigated storm after storm. Like a superhero, he emerged from his maelstroms with an optimistic smile. Recently, Bob said he had done everything on his bucket list. What a life he lived!

Bob graduated from Southeastern High School in 1964. He attended The Ohio State University, residing in the Stadium Honors dorm. At the age of 22, he received his Master of Economics. In 1979, he graduated with a Ph.D in Economics from The Ohio State University.

Bob was an Economics Professor for over four decades. He taught at Ohio University-Chillicothe; then Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia; University of Connecticut in Stamford; and for most of his career at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He received the Professor Emeritus in 2012. He was a Visiting Professor of Economics at Hopkins-Nanjing Center in Nanjing, China; Visiting Professor at the American University of Central Asia; Fulbright Lecturer in Economics at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China; board member of the Council for Economic Education; an Economic Education Consultant to the Superintendent of the California Department of Education; a faculty member for numerous training programs for economic educators in Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Baltics, the Balkans, Japan, China, and Kyrgyzstan; and a faculty participant with Khanya College (South Africa Project).

Bob held a pilot license, and while in Russia, he fulfilled a longtime dream of co-piloting a MiG fighter jet. He loved to travel with family, scuba dive, ski, and was an all-around adventurer. He liked sporty cars and loved spirited driving!

Bob was gifted with a strong appreciation of music at an early age. It began with family sing-alongs, and continued with clarinet, saxophone, and piano lessons. He played in the junior high, high school, the Scarlet and Gray concert band at The Ohio State University. He continued his love of music singing in the Indianapolis Arts Chorale for many years.

Bob expressed his selflessness by becoming a “Big Brother” to a fatherless child. He visited him weekly for book reading and included him in many family events and football games.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Sheila Schultz; and a niece, Nancy Helen Thacker. Surviving are his wife, Izumi and their children, Sean and Alicia; children, Christopher Harris (Vickie) of Bethlehem, Georgia; Theodore Harris (Melissa Conner) of Sacramento, California; sisters, Nancy Robertson (Jack) of Chillicothe, Ohio; Jo Carpenter (Michael) of Athens, Ohio; grandchildren, Houston Hutcheson, Ronnie Harris, Wilder Harris, and Eva Harris; and great-grandson, Jameson Hutcheson.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Nov. 25, 2024, from 12:30-4:30 at the Newfields Art Museum in Indianapolis. RSVP to [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Robert B. Harris Graduate Teaching Recognition Scholarship in Economics at IU Indianapolis at [ https://give.myiu.org/iu-indianapolis/I380010335.html?_gl=1*178hn1p*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTc3NDM4OTYwLjE3Mjg4MjU3MzA.*_ga_1TGNWFN22Y*MTcyODgyNTcyOS4xLjAuMTcyODgyNTcyOS4wLjAuMA.. ]or UNICEF.