Some Reedies have a knack for gathering people and for putting on a Reedie sort of party. Harry Mersmann ’82 was that kind of person. After he passed away on June 22, 2026, a group of his classmates gathered in Yosemite over Labor Day weekend to celebrate his memory: Sunny Childs ’83, Paul Edison-Lahm ’83, Stephen Engelmann ’83, Katie Laris ’83, Sara Nichols ’83, Owen Shapiro ’84, and Mark Worthington ’83, along with spouses and family members:
The group gathered annually for many years—in Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Santa Rosa, and Ft Bragg. Harry was the sort who built friendships that literally lasted a lifetime. Many of the listed alumni have stayed in touch since their graduation, with Sunny, Stephen, Katie, Sara, and Harry all in this photo from their graduation:
Harry’s son, Max, who joined the group in Yosemite this year, is long-range planning a Harry type of memorial in Stockton, CA where he lived and died. Meanwhile, Harry is loved by so many in the Reed community that his friends are putting on a Zoom gathering just to talk about Harry on Friday, Nov. 20th at 10 a.m. PT – people who want to attend can register here.
In the meantime, you might consider raising a glass in his honor—Harry created a host of Hum 110 inspired cocktails to go along with each unit of the syllabus. A glass of his “House of Atreus” might be perfect for the occasion, or a “Death in the Afternoon” if you aim to be a little more on the nose.
