Edward F. Harris of Statesville, N.C., where he was a resident for the past five years, and formerly of Shillington, Pa. died Sept. 4 in the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., where he had been a patient for four and a half weeks. He was 72 and had been a longtime summer resident of Ocean Heights in Edgartown.

Born in Reading, Pa., he was a son of the late Nelson Miles Harris and Rose Alice (Bush) Harris.

He was an electronics engineer for Raytheon Co. in Waltham, and then a supervisor at KBI in Tuckerton. In 2000, after 20 years, he retired as a lathe operator at Car-Tech Corp.

He served in the Navy during peacetime.

He was a member of Grace Fellowship Church in Shillington, and Western Avenue Baptist Church in Statesville.

Edward was a supporter of Friends of Israel in Bellmawr, N.J., an avid reader of theological history and loved spending summers on the Vineyard. He had many friends in North Carolina. Since 1998, he had been a supporter of the Good Shepherd Mission in Puttur, India.

He is survived by his loving wife, Linda M. (Tower) Harris, to whom he was married for 49 years; sons Edward M., husband of Kathleen L. Harris of Douglassville, Pa., and Scott D., husband of Cherisse M. Harris of Mohnton, Pa.; daughter Wendy L., wife of Andrew W. Bugay of Sinking Spring, Pa.; grandchildren Matthew, Carissa, Zachary, Anthony, Bryson and Olivia; and siblings Irma Stoner of Reading, Pa., Vernon Harris of Wernersville, Pa., Alice Kostival of Reading, Pa., Trudy Tower of Muhlenberg Township, Pa., Robert Harris of Wernersville, Pa., and Gene Harris of Reiffton, Pa.

He was preceded in death by his grandson Austin in 1997; a sister, Rita Ross; and a brother, Nelson Harris Jr.

Services were held at Grace Fellowship Church in Shillington on Friday, Sept. 10, with the Rev. Raymond S. Sensenig officiating. Interment will be in Forest Hills Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to The American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023, or Good Shepherd Mission, Puttur, India, c/o Mrs. Wendy Bugay, 36 Gelsinger Road, Sinking Spring, PA 19608.

Online condolences may be made at beanfuneralhomes.com.