Abstract
Asa Harris Mosher, 78, of Salford Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, passed away at his residence on Wednesday, August 27, 2014, surrounded by his loving family.
Harris earned a VMD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962 and a PhD from the University of Connecticut in 1968. A fellow student and colleague, Dr Eberhard Karbe, had this reflection on the time spent with Harris: “Harris Mosher and I were in a group of graduate students in the PhD program at the University of Connecticut. We called him Mo. He was an active, easygoing, and very friendly guy, liked by everybody. We all studied very hard and I believe that everyone taking the American College of Veterinary Pathologists board exam passed. Our friendship lasted 50 years, and it was a pleasure to have known him.”
Harris began a long and successful career in preclinical development in the pharmaceutical industry in 1968. He started at Merck Research Laboratories and moved in 1971 to McNeil, a Johnson & Johnson company, working 27 years until retiring in 1998. Dr Charles Kircher, in 1977, was the first pathologist to join Harris: “Harris maintained a steady and calm leadership through the challenges of growing pathology and managing his department through several company mergers helping to establish a new drug safety evaluation department within the RW Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute. His colleagues remember him as a patient mentor and for his graciousness in sharing accolades.”
Dr Dibaker Panigrahi, a pathologist with Johnson & Johnson, recalls knowing Harris since early 1970s: “Harris had a nice working relationship with everyone in the department. He was fair and honest. He would invite his staff for a picnic to his farm in Pennsylvania for a day of good food and fun. He was a nice person and a good boss and will be missed.”
Dr Charlotte Keenan, who joined the department in 1991, was impressed with the collegial environment that Harris fostered: “Harris promoted an environment where the scientists responsible for the work were given the chance to present their data, but he was always there to offer support. He was a wonderful man, pathologist, mentor, and friend.”
Harris was active in his professional organizations as well. He served on the certifying examination committee for the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in the mid-1970s. Dr John Shadduck recalled Harris being a “diligent, conscientious member doing what was needed to get the job done.” He was one of the early members and president of the Society of Toxicologic Pathology.
Upon retirement, he looked forward to spending more time with his wife and family. His family was the rock, the foundation upon which he relied. Harris married his high school sweetheart, Margie Staub, in 1959. They had 3 children: Timothy, Tamara, and Matthew. In 1969 they settled on a small farm in Pennsylvania. He was able to renew his interest in agriculture as a part-time farmer, a life that he fully embraced following his retirement. He established one of the most impressive Limousin cattle farms in the United States. His love of the land and farming was evident in his active participation in the Farm Preservation Board of Montgomery County and the North American Limousin Foundation.
Harris had 8 grandchildren and enjoyed going to their many sporting events. A reflection from Colleen, his oldest grandchild: “One thing that I can without a doubt say is that my cousins and I always remember my Grampi the same way: in blue jeans and a white T-shirt. While everyone else may have been intimidated by his size and his intelligence, he always made us feel extremely loved. Because he was so humble, we never quite knew what he really accomplished, but I am so extremely proud to be his granddaughter. Being his first grandchild and only granddaughter, I had a special place in his heart. He does in mine, and I know I speak for everyone in my family when I say that.” Harris was a man of few words but had a powerful and loving impact on all who knew him. He will be greatly missed by family, friends, and colleagues.