See also
Husband:
Harris Joseph BOND (1921-1978)
Wife:
Germaine Alice BOIRE
Children:
Name:
Harris Joseph BOND
Sex:
Male
Father:
Mother:
Birth:
Jul 12, 1921
Springfield, MA
Baptism:
Jul 31, 1921 (age 0)
Springfield, MA
Death:
May 1, 1978 (age 56)
Springfield, MA
Burial:
West Springfield, MA
Name:
Germaine Alice BOIRE
Sex:
Female
Father:
Mother:
Name:
Richard Joseph BOND
Sex:
Male
Spouse:
Name:
Lois Elizabeth BOND
Sex:
Female
Spouse:
The sponsors at Harris's baptism were his uncle, Clarence Lenneville,
and Aimei(?) (Pepin) Lenneville, who was probably Clarence's wife.
Harris was an only child, and his father died when Harris was only 16.
Harris had a great personality and was well-liked by all. As an
adult, he lived in a white house at 200 Poplar Avenue in West
Springfield, Massachusetts. He had a garden with corn and other
vegetables, and an above-ground pool. There was also a wooded area
with a walking path. He enjoyed sports and eating the delicious pies
that Germaine made. His mother lived with him after he married
Germaine, and Harris and Germaine always looked forward to retiring so
they could move to Florida and be alone together. Unfortunately, that
dream was never fulfilled. On Monday, May 1, 1978, he was playing
racquetball at the Dante Club when he complained of chest pains. He
did not want anyone to call a doctor, and he died later that evening,
probably from a heart attack, a few months shy of his 57th birthday.
According to his obituary in the West Springfield Record, he must have
been quite a busy man: Treasurer of the Westfield Savings Bank, and a
civic and fraternal leader in the community, he was born in
Springfield and lived here most of his life. He was graduated from
West Springfield High School, Class of 1938, and American
International College. He attended the University of Massachusetts in
Amherst and was later graduated from Rutgers-Stonier School of
Banking. Mr. Bond was appointed teller of the Westfield Savings
Bank's West Springfield branch office in 1947 and was named manager of
the branch in 1953. He was elected treasurer of the bank in 1970 and
had 31 years of banking service. Harris Bond had a
lifelong interest in sports and it involved him as participant,
official and observer. When the West Springfield Record started
publishing in 1953, Mr. Bond served as the sports editor covering
everything from bowling to basketball and following the future career
of local sportsmen with his reportage. He had his own sports show on
the former WTXL radio station in town and most recently broadcast
Westfield High School games for WDEW. As a broadcaster, he handled
the play-by-play of the former Springfield Giants AAA professional
baseball team out of Pynchon Park. As a referee, Mr. Bond officiated
at soccer matches, basketball and football, but his first love was
playing. He played softball in the adult league here for many seasons
and most recently took up racquetball. It wasn't long before Mr. Bond
was more than just a proficient player: he advanced to become doubles
champion last year in the senior division of the state. He was deeply
involved in his church St. Louis-de-France, serving most recently as
an extraordinary minister and lector. He voluntarily did all the
bookeeping of St. Louis and was available for any task. He was equally
committed to his town, serving for many years as a town meeting
member. Tuesday night, at the request of Selectman Frederick Conlin,
who described him as "a very loving father and husband and a very
close friend to myself and many others", the town meeting rose for a
moment of silence in his memory. He was a past president of West
Springfield Chamber of Commerce, West Springfield Rotary Club, West
Springfield Club, the American Institute of Banking and the
Massachusetts State Forum. An Air Force veteran of World War II, he
was a member of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and served
on its board of directors. He was a former member of the West
Springfield Board of Appeals and was a former chairman of the High
School Survey Committee. He was a member of the Unity Council,
Knights of Columbus, district committee of the Boy Scouts, Scouts of
America, and was a former chairman of the Boys Works Committee of the
Community YMCA. He was also a trustee of the Eastern States Exposition
and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Western Mass.
Professional Standards Review Organization.
Though Harris attended the University of Massachusetts, he never
graduated. After his first year, his father died, and he had to drop
out of school to take care of his mother. The Rutgers-Stonier School
of Banking was something like a correspondence course that he took
over a few summers.
Regarding the Air Force, at that time, it was not a separate branch of
the military, so it was actually the Army Air Force. Harris was in
navigator training, and was scheduled to finish that in September.
When the Japanese surrendered in August and the war ended, he was told
that he could complete the training and sign up for a three-year tour
of duty in Japan, or he could go home. He chose to go back to the
Springfield area. After the depression and the war, there was a lot
of pent-up demand for appliances, cars, and other goods. Since the
U.S. did not import many goods from foreign countries at that time,
there was no foreign competition, and so the country entered a period
of financial growth. One did not particularly need a college
education to succeed.