[Baltimore Sun] John Harris Gurley, attorney and outdoorsman, dies
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John Harris Gurley, an attorney, outdoorsman and food and wine connoisseur, died of malignant meningioma Oct. 11 at his Ruxton home. He was 85.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Hamilton, he was the son of Gordon Augustus Gurley, a heavy equipment dealer, and Virginia Harris Gurley, who ran the family home.
He attended St. Dominic School and was a 1957 Loyola High School graduate. He earned a degree at Georgetown University and was a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, finishing second in his class.
In 1964, he joined the Semmes, Bowen & Semmes law firm in downtown Baltimore. For about five years he was a litigator and worked with attorney John Mudd.
He later worked at the Rouse Company, where he helped assemble the land parcel for what is now Columbia.
“He mentored many young attorneys,” said his wife, Terry Shriver Gurley. “He didn’t take himself too seriously and was not pompous.”
Mr. Gurley ended his career as general counsel of Corporate Office Properties Trust in Columbia and helped take the firm public.
“He was innovative and could come up with new solutions to difficult problems,” said a friend and fellow attorney, Cleaveland Miller. “We traveled together from Maine to Jamaica. John was outgoing and could be opinionated at times. He was a good debater, and we would argue about which was the best wine.”
Mr. Gurley enjoyed slipping away from his desk and pursuing his outdoor passions.
John Harris Gurley won the Best Wine of The Year Award for the American Wine and Food Society in 1977.
“He was brilliant, and he looked at things with a critical eye. He challenged people in a diplomatic way. He could present himself at times as a rural farmer or an old-fashioned gentleman,” said Karen Singer, a legal colleague. “He was really tough as nails and lived a balanced life, pursuing his passions for the outdoor life while working hard.”
Mr. Gurley was an avid hunter and fisherman who spent his time at his farm on Taylor’s Island on the Eastern Shore. He called his place “Deadbird Farm.”
“He shared his love and knowledge of hunting with his sons and grandson and also mentored many young hunters,” said his wife.
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Mr. Gurley was a collector of items he bought at auctions and along his travels around the world. He displayed his auction wins and other items in both his homes in Ruxton and the Eastern Shore.
He traveled widely and explored corners of the United States. In 2015, he completed his quest to visit all 50 states. Idaho was the last on the list.
He was a director emeritus of the Baltimore Wine and Food Society. In the 1980s, he hosted dinners at the old Haussner’s Restaurant, among other dining establishments.
He was a winemaker and won the Best Wine of the Year Award from the American Wine and Food Society in 1977. He made his wine in his basement from grapes he bought in northern Pennsylvania.
Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Terry Shriver, a settlement officer for a title company; two sons, Jack Gurley, of Sparks, and Steve Gurley, of Marriottsville; four grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren.
A life celebration was held Oct. 19 at the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at jacques.kelly@baltsun.com and 410-332-6570.
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