Obituary for Mary Jacqueline "Jackie" Harris
Mary J. (Jackie) Harris, died suddenly September 16, 2020. Jackie was born November 16, 1942, to William R. Harris, Sr. and Irene (Tancy) Harris. She went to school at St. Canice until the family moved to Brookline. There she studied and graduated from The Church of the Resurrection School and then Elizabeth Seton High School.
As the oldest of ten children, Jackie learned early in life about responsibility and hard work. After graduation, she worked on Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Bookmobile. She then became a comptometer operator at a local dairy and also did a stint at the Heinz factory. In the early 1970s, she took the Civil Service exam and became a clerk at the US Postal Service, a job she enjoyed until her retirement in 1997. Upon her retirement, Jackie immediately moved back into the house she grew up in to take care of her aging parents. She stayed and looked after them for their remaining years.
Jackie taught her younger siblings that, yes, a girl can do home repairs and change a tire; and, yes, if the roof leaks, you can get out there and patch it yourself; and, yes, when someone needs help, you step in and help them. (It is true she kept a screwdriver in her purse because you never know.)
Jackie enjoyed taking road trips to beaches along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, often taking along her youngest siblings, who still have many fond memories of those times. She also enjoyed doing home improvements, watching The Young and the Restless, and doing jigsaw puzzles. She was a mix of frugality and generosity, clipping coupons and watching her pennies, then giving whatever was left to charity.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Irene Harris, her brother Earl who died in infancy, and her dear brother Lenny, whom she lovingly cared for through his battle with AIDS in the late 1980s. She is survived by her siblings William Harris, Jr., Michael Harris (and wife Diana), Bridget Harris, Thomas Harris (and wife Sharon), Patricia Kohring (and husband Gary), Bernadette Kennelly, and James Harris, as well as many nephews and nieces.
A small memorial for family and friends will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations in memory of Jackie be made to her favorite charity, Doctors Without Borders.
As the oldest of ten children, Jackie learned early in life about responsibility and hard work. After graduation, she worked on Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Bookmobile. She then became a comptometer operator at a local dairy and also did a stint at the Heinz factory. In the early 1970s, she took the Civil Service exam and became a clerk at the US Postal Service, a job she enjoyed until her retirement in 1997. Upon her retirement, Jackie immediately moved back into the house she grew up in to take care of her aging parents. She stayed and looked after them for their remaining years.
Jackie taught her younger siblings that, yes, a girl can do home repairs and change a tire; and, yes, if the roof leaks, you can get out there and patch it yourself; and, yes, when someone needs help, you step in and help them. (It is true she kept a screwdriver in her purse because you never know.)
Jackie enjoyed taking road trips to beaches along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, often taking along her youngest siblings, who still have many fond memories of those times. She also enjoyed doing home improvements, watching The Young and the Restless, and doing jigsaw puzzles. She was a mix of frugality and generosity, clipping coupons and watching her pennies, then giving whatever was left to charity.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Irene Harris, her brother Earl who died in infancy, and her dear brother Lenny, whom she lovingly cared for through his battle with AIDS in the late 1980s. She is survived by her siblings William Harris, Jr., Michael Harris (and wife Diana), Bridget Harris, Thomas Harris (and wife Sharon), Patricia Kohring (and husband Gary), Bernadette Kennelly, and James Harris, as well as many nephews and nieces.
A small memorial for family and friends will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations in memory of Jackie be made to her favorite charity, Doctors Without Borders.