James H. ("Harry") Ham, Jr.96, Indianapolis, passed away on December 25, 2016. He was born on July 20, 1920, in Atchison, Kansas. His parents, James H. Ham ("Harry, Sr.") and Ethel (Clark) Ham, predeceased him, as did his two older sisters, Harriett Ham and Jane Gillespie.Growing up in Atchison, Harry spent many wonderful summers swimming and boating with friends in nearby Bean Lake. After graduating from Atchison High School, where he lettered in football, he went to the University of Kansas. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1942. Upon graduation, he was employed by Bell Telephone Laboratories, then a subsidiary of AT&T, and moved to New Jersey. During World War II, Harry worked on research projects for the Navy such as SONAR, relating to anti-submarine warfare. After the war, his work with Bell Labs focused on new telephone products, the most important of which was the Touch Tone dial. As supervisor of the project to develop the dial, Harry is listed as the inventor on a number of patents relating to it. That project resulted in the introduction of a new telephone in the early 1960s with numbered buttons, which eventually replaced the rotary dial. Harry retired in 1984 from Bell Labs after 42 years.While in New Jersey, Harry met and married his wife Jeanne, and had three children. In 1956, the family moved to Indianapolis when Bell Labs established a branch at the new Western Electric plant. Harry has been here ever since. He and Jeanne enjoyed over 53 years together until her death in 2003.Harry was a lifelong lover of opera, beginning in the 1940s when he attended performances of the Metropolitan Opera in New York in the standing room only section. At age 87, he traveled back to New York with his son for a performance of Richard Wagner's classic Ring Cycle, and sat for over 20 hours of opera in four days.While he was able, Harry exercised often. He played tennis, swam and walked his cairn terriers. His favorite sport was golf. Well into his 80s, he would play 9 holes with his golfing buddies almost every morning, as long as the snow was not too deep. He was also skilled at woodworking and a variety of other crafts, and spent many hours in his basement workshop making things.Harry is survived by his children, Jay Ham (Mary), Steve Ham (Linda) and Nancy Megarity (Kent), and his grandchildren, Jessica, Joy, Nick and Dylan. He has five great grandchildren.There will be a private memorial service at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made in Harry's name to the Indianapolis Opera.Please sign the online guest book at www.flannerbuchanan.com. Private services will be held. Arrangements entrusted to Flanner and Buchanan-Oaklawn Memorial Gardens.