Tributes have been paid to a former bike shop owner and a popular member of the Cardiff community who was told he had just two weeks to live over 20 years ago. Chris Harris owned Chris Harris Cycles, now Damian Harris Cycles, in the Whitchurch area of the city and raised money for a number of charities following his recovery from cancer.
After working in Halfords, Chris started his bike shop in 1956 when he was just 17 at the Mill Lane Market. He began the business in a 12-by-12 garden shed, working 18-hour days doing up second-hand bikes. People would queue around the block to buy bikes in Chris's big Friday sales.
The business was a roaring success and moved to Bridge Street for around 30 years, before setting up its current Whitchurch site. Dedicated to his work, Chris worked in the same business for 50 years before he retired in 2006, with Damian taking over as Damian Harris Cycles. Cycle shops have long been in the family, with Chris's father, Arthur Harris, also having had his own shop in Ely.
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Born on August 12, 1939 in Cardiff, Chris initially grew up in Grangetown before moving to Penarth. He was married to his wife, Rita, for 53 years before he passed away. The pair met in the Paget Rooms in Penarth and were married within six months. Chris and Rita had two sons together - Damian and Julian - and he was a doting grandfather to his grandchildren, Emily and Charlie, who helped him plant vegetables on the weekends.
When Damian and Julian were growing up, new bikes were stored in every room of the house, stacked up to the ceiling. "[At] Christmas time, we could not move in our house because of all the bikes," Damian said, recalling that his mum would often end up with bruises on her legs from knocking into the bikes so often.
On his birthday in 2002, Chris came round from a routine hernia operation only to be told that, while the operation had been a success, doctors had discovered cancer. He was told to prepare himself for just a fortnight to live. Damian said his father made an "unbelievable" recovery.
"He's like a miracle on two legs," Damian said of his father. "He had cancer when he was 65 and was only given a couple of weeks, but he managed to fight it through the horrible chemo he had for such a long time and he managed to have another 20 years of life."
"Every day, and he still said it, right up to the end, he'd say 'I'm not dead yet'. That was his slogan. Every morning he used to get up and say, 'Well, I'm not dead yet," Damian continued. Following his recovery, Chris and his family have given plenty back to cancer charities, with Velindre being among the many that Chris supported.
Speaking of his father, Damian said: "There are no words to describe him. He's just a wonderful man. He did everything for everyone, rather than doing it for himself. He had the nurses running ragged - they loved him. He was so polite - a true gentleman. I don't think there's anyone like him."
Chris was known for his charitable nature and Damian recalls his father reading a story in the newspaper about a young deaf boy who had his bicycle stolen. Working in his father's shop as a Saturday boy at the time, Damian remembers his father calling the parents of the boy to ask how tall he was, before finding him a bike for free to replace the one that had been stolen.
"He just did everything for everyone, even when he was ill," Damian said, adding that he would continue to shop for neighbours and look after a local lady, Betty Jenkins, when her husband had passed away. "My dad treated her like she was his own daughter. He was always looking after her - he looked after everybody."
His charitable nature extended to Christmas Day, where everyone from the local dustman to the gardener would be invited to Christmas lunch, as well as anyone in need. He would also give out wine to everyone from the postman and the gas man to the Amazon delivery driver for their hard work.
"No one had a bad word to say, he was loved by everyone who knew him", Damian said. "He was like a taxi driver for all his friends, taking them to the airport and even looking after their parents. Nothing was too much trouble." Chris was always early for appointments, Damian said, and hated anyone being late. He enjoyed keeping up with current affairs, watching the news several times a day.
"He never bought anything expensive, he wasn't that type of person. I'll never forget, there was a bright yellow Porsche, and he said, 'I'm gonna have that.' I said, 'Dad, if you come home with that, you'll have a divorce.' He was a big kid at heart - he liked cars, but he never bought anything crazy. But, that one day, he was gone for a few hours and he went and bought it and drove it back," Damian said.
Chris eventually sold the car, but was visited by the man he sold it to just a few months before he passed away and had his photograph taken with it. "That was his pride and joy," Damian said. "Yellow was his favourite colour. My dad was very extravagant with his clothing. He always had a shirt and tie, no matter what day.
"He'd have the loudest jumper you'd ever imagine, he'd have a different coloured cap. One thing he said about his funeral is that he doesn't want anyone to wear black, he wants bright colours. Anything yellow - yellow tie, yellow socks - anything, he said, but just not black."
Damian remembers his dad as a joker, particularly on April Fools Day. But, he recalls, the one year he tried to get his own back, the April Fools turned out to be true. "I rushed into the shop and said to him that his van was on fire and he told me, 'Haha, April Fools,' until I had to literally make him go outside to see that his van was actually on fire. Never forgot his face."
While his life was his business, Chris still took time to travel. After a holiday to Canada, he was able to make regular visits to the friends he had made there. After retiring, he enjoyed growing vegetables, particularly broad beans. Despite retiring, his work ethic remained strong, telling his sons not to close the bike shop on the day of his funeral.
Chris passed away at the age of 83 on February 6 with his family beside him. "He stuck it out right through to the end," Damian said. He says his dad will be "going out in real cycle style," with a bicycle-drawn hearse for his funeral as a homage to the business he dedicated his life to.
The funeral service is March 7 at St Teilo’s Church at 10.30am followed by Thornhill Crematorium at midday. Everyone is welcome to attend and encouraged to wear yellow, Chris's favourite colour. Those who would like to cycle alongside the electric bike funeral cart are welcome to do so. A celebration of Chris's life will be held at the Fox & Hounds in Whitchurch afterwards.
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