Bert Harris was a stalwart of Dunedin bowls and was a life member of the Dunedin Bowling Umpires' Association.
He was always on duty when national championships were held in Dunedin and his son has followed his example.
Bert was a founder member of the Leith Harrier Club and remained active all his life. He lived to the age of 97 and was regularly seen walking up the Leith Valley well into his 90s.
Bowls is an important sport in both sides of the Harris family. Bert won six Bowls Dunedin titles and gained his gold star.
Ken's wife, Judith, also grew up in a keen bowls family. Her father, Wes Cowie, was also a member of the Leith club and won seven Bowls Dunedin titles and his gold star.
Ken only started playing bowls with the Dunback Club after he retired from the Otago Harbour Board and Port Otago at the age of 62.
''I was never going to be a top bowler, so umpiring was my way of helping other bowlers enjoy the game,'' he said.
''I also explain laws to them.''
Ken and Judith made a conscious decision to stay with yachting while their parents were still involved with bowls.
''We didn't want to go along to bowls and be compared to our parents,'' Ken said.
He was a member of the Otago Yacht Club and the Otago Trailer Sailer Yacht Squadron and was president of the Otago Yachting Association in 1987.
Ken became an umpire 14 years ago and this is his fourth national championships in the job.
Ken (76) grew up in Dunedin and was a keen athlete in his younger days. He was a member of the Leith Harrier Club and his first club run was, concidentally, from the Leith Bowling Club.
He was a talented walker and finished runner-up in the New Zealand junior championships at Carisbrook in 1954.
Ken competed in athletics from 1951 to 1964 until he became an engineer's officer in the Merchant Navy.
