It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Harry at the age of 70. He died peacefully with Claudia, his wife of 42 years, as well as his good friend Robin, by his side. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Pre-deceased by his father Hugh John Dollard, Harry is survived by his mother Patricia Joan, his brothers John Douglas and Christopher Hugh, and his sister Marianne Patricia.
Harry was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he spent his childhood and youth until he moved to the Lower Mainland at the age of 18 after spending one year at the University of Manitoba in a science degree track. He continued his studies at the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University eventually earning a BSc Honors in Physics at SFU. He returned to UBC several years later to acquire a MBA.
Harry developed a strong interest in technology at an early age, encouraged by his father Hugh John, a successful small business entrepreneur. His weekends and summers were spent learning and working along side his father from pre-teen until he left Winnipeg. While at university he spent several semesters working at the TRIUMF project in the controls group where he helped develop digital hardware modules. This knowledge helped him design and build a microcomputer from basic hardware and software components in 1976 and later sell it to an amateur radio operator for digital teletyping.
Harry and Claudia met in the UBC Physics Department and were married in November 1978. The following year he was hired by IBM Canada in technical support and moved into computer sales. This led to a sales and project management career with Macdonald Dettwiler in Richmond. Looking for smaller and more entrepreneurial opportunities he met Robin Bicknell and joined his company, MCS, in 1989, forming a lifelong friendship. In 1996 Harry together with a new partner, Joe Tatham, spun a new company, InTime Solutions, out of MCS, to explore the market for the scheduling of protective services personnel. In 2005 he bought Joe out and continued as InTime's president until retiring and selling the company to the employees in early 2020.
If you knew Harry you found him to be patient, quiet, and thoughtful. In business he was considered a successful entrepreneur in software products and services. He really enjoyed his work and providing InTime's services to his many customers in the USA and Canada. As a role model, particularly for his employees, he always found the best in others and guided them through the values he lived by, kindness, integrity, and generosity.
Harry became an avid runner in his late fifties. At his peak he would run a half marathon weekly in a little over two hours. He enjoyed travelling and in his later years annual trips with Claudia to Kona, Hawaii in the fall and spring were always much anticipated.
Although Harry endured many challenges over the last 2 years while living with ALS, he bore this illness with humour and courage and faced every day with positivity and determination. He will be greatly missed.
There will be no service by request.
In memory donations may be made to the ALS Society of BC at https://www.alsbc.ca/donate/.