The latter is a result of a 1984 visit to the White House, as Harrison's contributions to U.S. table tennis and pingpong diplomacy earned him and Marty an invite to a State Dinner in January.

It was there that Reynolds and Kissinger were part of a varied and distinguished crowd of about 120, and there that Harrison still humorously laments a golden opportunity gone by the boards.

"I remember being on the dance floor with Ronald Reagan and about three other couples, and I've often thought that I missed a great opportunity there to tap Reagan on the shoulder and ask if he'd like to trade partners. But I didn't."

Harrison's involvement in table tennis has remained steady even as he moved around the country, from Niagara Falls, where he settled for three years after moving from England, to Wilmington, Del., where he spent the bulk of his four-decade career as a chemist for Dupont.

Harrison would eventually retire to a serene setting on a lake in the town of Washington, New Hampshire, before moving to Havenwood with Marty. He is still a contributing consultant to the USTTA on equipment issues, and was intimately involved in the decision years ago to increase the size of the ball from 38 millimeters to 40. That decision was made in hopes of slowing an increasingly fast and powerful game, and Harrison said he doesn't like the modern focus on strength over strategy, preferring the longer rallies more prevalent years ago.

Harrison now cherishes the rallies he can still take part in. He admittedly never had a pingpong table in any of his houses, but makes occasional use of the one in the activity room at Havenwood.

It is there that he has found a way to remain involved in the game that once solidified his legacy and now provides a respite from mental and physical challenges.

"It's something I'm thankful for, certainly," Harrison said. "I used to do a lot of sailing, but I haven't done that since I came to New Hampshire. I've given that up. I'm probably going to give up singing. My singing voice held up better than my spoken voice, but my range is only half of what it used to be.

"I've given up quite a lot. But not table tennis."