CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The NASA community is mourning the loss of one of its legendary voices.

Hugh Harris, whose surly voice called the very first space shuttle mission in 1981, passed away at the age of 90 on Tuesday.

Kate Perez worked alongside the public affairs specialist as a Kennedy Space Center docent after he retired.

She keeps Harris' call of the space agency's return to flight post-Challenger as her ringtone, though she didn't know it was him at first.

"Hugh says to me, 'That's my voice, how did it get on my phone?'" she said. "I said, 'Oh my God, you're my ringtone!' I've had this ringtone for years and I knew him, but he never said, 'I used to be voice of NASA,' because he wasn't that kind of guy."

That's how everyone who knew and interacted with Harris remembers him.

"He had those courtly, older gentleman manners, if you know what I'm saying," Perez said. "He was special to me, for sure."

Hugh Harris (left) with Kate Perez (right) at Kennedy Space Center. (Kate Perez)

Retired shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach also remembers Harris as a person who always showed he cared.

"Hugh, one of the nicest gentlemen, a true southern gentleman, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet," Leinbach said.

Leinbach worked at the console next to Harris during launches. He says his calm demeanor was perfect for his role as commentator.

"He had that unique voice, that calming voice. And even when we got in a big issue, he was able to explain it and make everyone feel good we were going to get ourselves out of it, he was just the best, the best," he said.

One of Harris' last public appearances was at January's American Space Museum's NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony in Titusville.

Harris was with NASA for 35 years and provided commentary on more than 100 space shuttle launches.