Clint Alfred Harbour

Clint Alfred Harbour passed from this life on August 30, 2024, at the age of 49, from glioblastoma. He was a beloved husband and family member, cherished friend, esteemed colleague, and trusted mentor to many from all walks of life. His legacy of profound kindness and generosity of spirit will endure. Clint was born in Liberty, Texas on August 14, 1975, where he had the kind of free-ranging childhood that a small town afforded in the 1970s. Fueled by his mother’s homemade cookies and sweet tea, he climbed trees, played with friends, and, along with his cousin Beau, plotted G.I. Joe’s infiltration of Barbie’s dream house. He was rarely caught without a set of dominoes. On his tenth birthday, the family gave him a concrete slab with a basketball hoop, setting up a central arc in his life. Clint looked up to his big sister Cori, so when it came time for him to go to college, he followed in her footsteps and went to the University of Texas at Austin. Even at a big school in a big state known for big personalities, Clint stood out. Around campus, he became known for his bandanas, sandals, love of UNC basketball, and encyclopedic recall of early Nineties hip hop. As a freshman, Clint began working in the Youth Sports program at the YMCA of Central Texas. He continued working at the Y throughout college and law school, hiring countless friends along the way. He kept his YMCA membership for the rest of his life. While at UT for law school, Clint was an endearing big man on campus, ultimately serving as Class President. Standing at the lectern to speak at graduation, he pulled a baseball cap from under his robe and put it on before proceeding--the kind of authentic wink to pretense that not even school administrators could get upset with. For his contributions to the University, Clint was inducted to UT’s Friar Society. As he embarked on his career as a trial attorney, Clint remained deeply involved in the community. Generations of young people credit Clint to some degree with helping them grow and thrive. In addition to his continuing service to the YMCA Board and UT Law School, along with his friend Ryan Willet, Clint coached the AAU Select Austin Dawgs for fifteen years and at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Lower School for a decade. Former students and players say that, above all, they felt how much he cared about them. Rooted as he was, Clint was also an explorer. In 2005, he went to South Africa as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. He shared Texas history when speaking to dozens of Rotary Clubs across southern Africa. Along the way, he rode a pony in Lesotho, rode an ostrich (briefly) in the Karoo, and rode shotgun across the desert expanse of Namibia. Studying international human rights at the University of Cape Town, he played varsity basketball and volunteered to help make the sport accessible to children in the townships around that city. By some, he is credited with bringing Juneteenth, Velveeta cheese queso, and the baby hook shot to South Africa. The folks he met during that time were among his closest friends for the rest of his life. Returning to Texas to join the Transportation Division of the Office of the Attorney General, Clint cut a singular figure. Longtime colleagues will remember that he arrived with long hair in cornrows and a hoodie. Many lawyers, client representatives, and expert witnesses can attest to how quickly Clint turned their initial doubt into trust, friendship and admiration. His intellect, work ethic, and self-assurance could disarm even the staunchest skeptic. Clint worked hard for his client, TxDOT, and he promptly established himself as a leader in Texas eminent domain law. Described as the heart and soul of the Transportation Division, Clint loved both the work itself and the folks he worked with. He was always the coolest head in the room, and more than once was seen smiling and laughing with a “hostile” witness during cross-examination. He maintained collegial relationships with his opposing counsel, too. Understanding that people matter, and so preferring to do business in-person, Clint spent months at a time driving along Texas highways to meet face-to-face with the folks involved in his cases--so much so that, at one point, he held the record for government employee travel in the state. Clint’s mentorship of younger attorneys in the AG’s office, through the Texas Young Lawyers Association, and in his teaching of trial advocacy at UT Law was legendary. He rarely spoke in terms of wins or accolades, though he had many; rather, he preferred to remember the interesting arguments, unique personalities, and enduring friendships developed through his work. In short, as in every other part of his life, he simply chose to be himself, and that invariably paid off for all. In many ways, Clint belonged to everyone. But when Clint met Christina, his heart found a permanent home--primarily in Dulce, the family cat, but Christina was a very close second. Although Christina was a good decade older than Clint and had the children and commitments to prove it, Clint dove right into family life. He happily traded his free-spirited and unencumbered ways for 6:00 p.m. nightly dinner, stepdad duties, and cat chores. Hannah Grace, age seven at the time, collected observations about Clint in her notebook: “Beard. Deep voice. Likes to sleep.” Clint later said he could think of no better epitaph. Christina’s son Aaron, already out of college and considering law school, got Clint’s full support. When Aaron shipped off for law school hundreds of miles away, Clint drove the U-Haul. Clint loved reading Cat Warrior books out loud to young Hannah Grace. And during her teenage years, he was the kind of stepdad who volunteered to ride with the sophomores on the party bus to make sure no post-prom shenanigans ensued. No other parent would or could have occupied that role. With his warmth and smile, complete with huge dimples, Clint quickly became a beloved son-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncle among the extended Pesoli family. As the Pesoli and Harbour nieces and nephews grew up and moved to other cities, Clint would reach out to check on them, and when he was in the area, take them to dinner. Family or not, if Clint knew you, he likely knew your birthday. And if he knew your birthday, you were almost guaranteed to get a birthday text from him every year. Clint’s love for travel quickly became a shared passion, and Clint and Christina explored countless countries together. They traveled cheaply so they could travel often. No number of plane changes was too many, and no connection was too tight, as long as it meant getting the absolute best airfare possible. They considered the grueling itineraries often required of discount flights to be “travel dares,” and there was no travel dare that they weren’t willing to take. Perhaps the greatest adventure of Clint’s life began on his forty-fourth birthday when William was born to Aaron and his wife Margaret, making Clint a grandfather. Clint said William was the best birthday present he ever got. And when Aaron and Margaret’s second child Louise was born, Clint’s heart was fully and forever stolen. Whether reading books, playing chase, building and knocking down forts, or hoisting them up on his shoulders and going for a walk, Clint cherished his time with William and Louise. He used to brag that he had outsmarted everyone by leapfrogging over the hard work of having biological children and landing directly at being a grandparent, the easiest and most fun role ever. But that was Clint’s humble way of not taking credit for being there for all of it. Both Christina and Hannah Grace will tell you they could not have made it through the teenage years without Clint’s levelheaded support and unwavering love. It is common to talk about a person’s experience with cancer in terms of valiant fights and brave battles. Those metaphors are not a fit for Clint. After being diagnosed with brain cancer, Clint trained his formidable strength and characteristic optimism on living fully and being more present. He did more of all the things that made Clint who he was--he loved, traveled, visited, and worked as much as he could, and as much as treatments, trials and appointments would allow. Although he was the one with cancer, Clint was always concerned about how everyone else was holding up. Clint was never motivated by money, instead preferring the value of compound returns on genuine relationships and a life well lived. His family and friends’ memories of him could, collectively, fill a library. Yet, Clint’s memories of these times surely exceeded even that. The task of remembering is now shared by the many who loved him. Clint is preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Carl and Ann Glass, and paternal grandparents, Elmer and Gladys Harbour. He is survived by his wife, Christina Pesoli of Austin; stepson, Aaron Terwey and wife Margaret, and their children, William and Louise, of Dallas; stepdaughter, Hannah Grace Brannon of Austin; mother, Catherine Harbour of Liberty; aunt, Carroll McCullough and husband Robert of Deer Park; aunt, Bonnie Bartel of Mobile, Alabama; father, Danny Harbour and stepmother, Nona of Hardin; sister, Cori Harbour of El Paso; niece, Channelor Vidal of Austin; nephew, Taylor Vickers of Austin; cousin, Beau Bartel and wife Tracy of Mobile, Alabama; nephew, Zackary Bartel and wife Jordan of Silverhill, Alabama; nephew, Cameron Bartel of Pensacola, Florida; and nephew, Gabriel Bartel of Mobile, Alabama; and all of the Pesoli family in-laws, nieces and nephews (too numerous to mention by name) who loved and adored him; and, of course, his faithful and attentive companion, Dulce and the somewhat less so, Mama Cat. The family is forever grateful to Clint’s dedicated team of medical professionals. It gave Clint and Christina considerable peace of mind knowing that his medical care was in the best possible hands. Clint’s health care practitioners didn’t simply treat his cancer, they cared for him. Clint will be laid to rest at 4 pm on Saturday, September 14, at Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery, 330 Berry Lane, Georgetown, Texas. A Celebration of Life is scheduled for 1 pm on Sunday, September 15, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School Chapel, 5901 Southwest Parkway, Austin, Texas. A reception will immediately follow at the school. Friends and family are invited to attend both. University of Texas School of Law (to support students with financial needs): https://utlsf.org/give/harbour/ St. Andrew's Episcopal School Financial Aid/Scholarship Fund: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/donor-form/?svcid=tcs&formId=c00cb336-f7b4-44db-8625-e2bd5e1b20e5&envid=p-ErtetN0TOkyI2WWRY96p3g&zone=usa (or mailed to: St. Andrew's / Attn: Advancement Office / 1112 W. 31st Street / Austin, TX 78705) YMCA of Central Texas: https://ymcactx.org/donate/ Brain Tumor Network online: https://www.braintumornetwork.org/donate or by mail to: Brain Tumor Network 816 A1A North, Ste 207 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32092

Clint Alfred Harbour

August 14, 1975 - August 30, 2024