May Harris is a special member of my Family. I met her at the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Southern Nevada more than 5 years ago with her daughter, Michele Harris-Dixon, and her sister, Sheila. It was my first Relay in Vegas, and I loved their antics as they walked around the track in their purple Tutu and noise makers. Mary was the heart of our Relay events. She built the human connection with everyone she met on why we need to fight to bring hope to those who hear the three deadly words, "You have cancer." She always drove us to reach higher than we believed possible during our campaigns. She talked me into being the lead twice for the Las Vegas Campaign, and I never turned her down for anything she asked of me, as I did not want to let her down.
What I loved about her is that she made me feel like Hamako, Alicia, and I were part of her blood family. After I retired from UPS, we moved to her family team in Relay, Sisters of the Heart, and I was even a co-captain for one year.
She was always laughing about something I would say, especially when I would playfully banter that she was getting easier to catch as the years went by. She would regularly send me a text saying she was thinking of us(Hamako, Alicia, and me) and wishing us a blessed day. It's one message string I don't think I will ever delete from my phone.
From my understanding, she never personally experienced cancer beyond her family and friends, but she and her family fought it ruthlessly through American Cancer Society programs.
Here is the video I edited from our Jay Gambino-hosted Celebration of Life. I only captured him talking about Mary at the beginning of the show.
Rest in Power, Mary! We are going to continue your legacy.
Posted on 06/21/26 at 11:18 AM
In Memory of
Kie Tanno
My Wife Hamako's Mother. She was a cancer survivor. She is an independent, driven lady. It is amazing what she can do with a Garden and she teaches her neighbors how to grow vegetables.
My favorite memory of her is from 7 years ago(2017) when she was in her early 80s. I would stay home with her while my wife visited with her friends. She does not speak any English, and I speak very little Japanese, but she would take me for a daily walk around the neighborhood(around 3 miles), point things out, and tell me about them. I had no idea what she said, but I could only assume it. I also had difficulty keeping up with her as she walked so fast.
I know where my wife's Toughness comes from :>
She passed away in June 2025.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 02:14 PM
In Memory of
Kazuharu Tanno
My brother-in-law. Since my wife's father passed away before I met her, I had to ask his permission to marry my wife. He was very dedicated to his family and worked hard to support them and his mother.
His lost is battle with Cancer
Posted on 11/30/23 at 02:07 PM
In Memory of
Gary Jacobson
Gary, better known as Gary the Mime, was a member of my Relay For Life Family and has been one of our ambassadors over the years. My favorite memory of him was during COVID-19. We had to have a drive-through relay, and he was our grand marshal. He was in costume, driving his little red convertible car, waving and having a grand old time.
He was a long-term cancer survivor who recently lost his battle with Cancer. He will be deeply missed. Relay won't be the same without him
Here was his video on being a cancer survivor
Posted on 05/19/24 at 05:30 PM
In Memory of
Michael Mulqueen
Michael was a co-worker at UPS and married to Irene Mulqueen my first mentor there. He will be missed by many people. He lost his battle with Lung cancer on January 23, 2024
