Harrison Call
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Harrison Call
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In Memory Harrison Call was a founding member of Fermenting Friends. Because he lived in that wonderful land of chardonnay and cabernet at Seven Arches, he was too distant from our winery to attend many work sessions. Thus, he deserved the sobriquet, Capitalist, rather than Grunt. But, he didn’t prefer it. Capitalists are not among the elite in the Radical Moderate Party, which Harrison also founded. On July 5th, Harrison left us very suddenly. Although we knew of his various health problems, none of us expected to be without him. He has left a void felt most when the phone rings, and he isn’t calling. At the Celebration of his life at the Ranch, there were many references to Harrison’s phone calls. He called to go over his menu and the wine pairings, to talk about his kids and grandkids, to complain about “your president”, to lobby again for campaign finance reform, to review an economic theory, to cheer or lament the Duck’s performance, or just to check on the family. Some of us who had never met felt like we knew each other forever because of those calls. He connected us. He was the internet. It can never be the same. Harrison entered our lives when he was the chief economist for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. He seemed belligerent as he attacked our proposed rates to California utilities (even though they were eminently fair and reasonable). He did not strike me as someone I wanted to know. But, we would learn that the exterior gruffness masked a soft underside that reached out and cared. Providence brought us together professionally for a number of years when he was my mentor in California. Business meetings and dinners with California utility executives soon led to more social opportunities. The years gave us innumerable fine dining experiences at our homes and in too many classy restaurants to remember, where he frequently went to the kitchen for a recipe from the chef. Our group enjoyed trips to the mountains, the beach, and the wine country where Harrison would unload his kitchen to care for his flock. He shared his passion for food and wine generously, and he used every opportunity to spike the conversation with political time bombs. He worried about all of our kids. He didn’t go anywhere without Diana Krall. Our consolation must be that Harrison now has an endless supply of 1995 Chalk Hill Chardonnay and the many variations of those marvelous Sonoma Zinfandels he relished. He tried to like Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, but he didn’t have enough webs in his feet to make those his favorites. He said he liked the Zinfandel that we made from grapes in Oregon, but there was a lot of it left in his cellar. We hope that it travels well and that John and Angela will enjoy it. There’s an old song about asking an operator to connect you to heaven. Harrison, we’ll be making those calls to you now. Keep the lines open. Save us a place. |
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