The Passing Of Greg Harrison

[rickgeo]

I just read yesterday on Ed Youngbloods facebook account of this news.Very sad,he was a great person & will be sorely missed by our club & the motorcycling community.

Rick Stambaugh

# 2472

[wlwood]

Yes, Greg Harrison passed away on February 15 as a result of complications following open-heart surgery. He was 66.

Most people on this forum will know Greg as the Editorial Director of the AMCA magazine, but that was only his latest role in a motorcycling life that began with a Honda S90 he bought in the mid-’60s. He immediately set about “improving” it, taking a hacksaw to the mufflers and a spray-paint can to the bodywork. He always wanted to restore an S90 to atone for the damage he did back then.

In 1970, Greg and Debbie were married, and set off on a honeymoon to Mexico aboard his ’68 Triumph Bonneville. It might have seemed like a bad omen that the bike broke and they ran out of money, but their marriage endured for 46 years, and they remained not just husband and wife, but best friends, to the end. Debbie says there was just one day in their entire marriage when they didn’t have a chance to talk to each other, and that was only because Greg was on one of his many international trips, ending up in a town where the only phone was powered by a generator that had shut down for the night.

In 1979, Greg landed his dream job, becoming the Graphics Manager for the magazine at the AMA. He would remain there for 28 years, being promoted to Managing Editor, Executive Editor and, finally, Vice President of Membership and Communications. During that time, Greg played a major role in the increase of AMA membership from 110,000 to over 300,000, while the association magazine grew to become the second-largest circulation motorcycle publication in the country.

He was also one of the U.S. representatives to the FIM, the international motorcycling federation, where he helped form the organization’s Touring Commission, eventually serving as that commission’s President.

Along the way, Greg wrote dozens of memorable motorcycle touring stories, bringing to them an ear for dialect that gave his accounts an authentic local feel. And he founded the AMA’s tour program, personally leading hundreds of riders on adventures in the United Kingdom, the Alps, New Zealand and along historic Route 66 here in the States.

I had the privilege of working with Greg for 25 years at the AMA. In 2008, he and I—along with art director Denny Thrush—formed DGB Communications (Denny, Greg, Bill). That year, we were offered the opportunity to take over responsibility for producing the AMCA magazine. It was a pleasure for him to write about the motorcycles of his youth and to learn more about the heritage of machines from decades earlier. He loved talking bikes with AMCA members at Meets and bringing their stories to life in the magazine.

In all, I ended up working with Greg for 35 years, and I admired his intelligence, his honesty, his loyalty and his sense of humor, particularly about himself. He was a good man and a great friend. We will all miss him.

Bill Wood

[servicardenise]

I am sorry for your loss Bill, he was a nice man.
Denise

[BEK]

I have been a member of the AMA since 1983 and when they opened their Heritage Museum in 1990, I believe, in Pickerington I met Greg. He was very friendly and invited me into his office there to show me some of the motorcycle toys he had on display. We ended up talking for quite awhile as he told me a few personal stories. As the day went on, I ran into him a few more times and he always greeted me. I always enjoyed the stories he wrote for both the AMA magazine and the AMCA magazine. I will definitely miss him.

[BoschZEV]

I met Greg sometime around 2000 and interacted with him in person and by email various times since then. He was a great guy and I am only one of the many people who will miss him.

Charles

[ihrescue]

That's real tough losing a long time colleague and friend. Sorry to
hear that bad news. RIP.

[Ross]

A trenendous loss to the motorcycling world. Our thoughts are with you Bill and to his family

[HarleyCreation]

My condolences to Greg's family and friends. While I didn't know Greg as well as some club members, I did work with him on projects for The Antique Motorcycle magazine. They always turned out well.

Reading Greg's biography provided by Bill Wood shows that he was another one of us who started riding in the 1960s or early '70s. It wasn't long ago when we were the young guys and there were many old time riders still around. Guys who rode before WWII and back to JD days. But time marches on as one by one they passed away. Now we're quickly becoming the old timers and like Greg face the crossing of that last divide.

[wlwood]

Just wanted to let everyone know that a celebration of Greg’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, in the Everal Barn and Homestead, 60 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville, Ohio. We will share food, drink and stories of Greg's life. Dave Despain will be the master of ceremonies. And for those who remember it, there will be a pilgrimage to the Westerville building that housed the AMA from the early ’70s to the late ’90s--it's just two blocks away.

Bill Wood