Colleagues, Students Remember Shuttle Driver Harrison Bush As Kind, Gentle

Harrison P. Bush Sr., who began driving shuttles for Harvard in 2007 and most recently serviced the Quad route from Monday through Friday, died Jan. 9.

Bush left his position in March 2013 to undergo cancer treatment at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, according to Carl A. Tempesta, associate director of transit, fleet, and charter operations.

Former colleagues and students remember him for his kindness and hospitality.

“If you’re a junior or a senior living in the Quad, you know Harrison Bush,” said David E. Harris Jr., director of transit and fleet services at Harvard. “He was a very kind and courteous driver, and he is going to be sorely missed by his coworkers and the students that rode on his bus.”

Patricia A. Bush, his wife of 37 years, said that he “loved” his job.

“He would come home with stories every day,” she said, adding that when he saw students running, “he would sit there and wait for them.”

She said that he was often touched by the kindness of Harvard students, such as Nadia J. Farjood ’13 and Jordan L.C. Ashwood ’13, who gave Bush a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card with a note thanking him for his kindness last spring.

“I still have that card,” she said.

Farjood said that she met Bush when he drove her and the 5th grade children she was teaching in the Summer Urban Program after her freshman year.

Even with a rambunctious group of fifth graders on the bus, Bush was “so calm and so kind and treated every kid with such respect,” Farjood said.

After she moved to the Quad, Farjood often rode Bush’s shuttle route.

“He made me feel really valued at the end of a hard day,” Farjood said. “He was kind of like a grandparent to me at Harvard.”

Similarly, Tempesta, who worked with him, said that he called Bush “the gentle giant.”

“He did whatever he could for students and was always flexible,” said Tempesta. “He was a great guy.”

A viewing and funeral service in honor of Bush was held Saturday at Concord Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife Patricia, four children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

—Staff writer Tyler S. Olkowski can be reached at tolkowski@college.harvard.edu.