Kathryn Harris Obituary, Kathryn Harris has passed away unexpectedly

Kathryn Harris Obituary, Death – After a brief cancer recurrence, Kathryn “Kathy” Ware Harris, 77, died away quietly at her daughter’s house on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. She shared her early years in Chatham, New Jersey, with her brothers Peter and David. She was born on July 17, 1945, in Orange, New Jersey, to her adored parents John Herbert Ware Jr. and Jane Dickie Ware. Kathy demonstrated that it is more important to finish well than it is to start well after graduating from Chatham High School. Before earning a degree from Parsons College, she dropped out of her first college semester. Amy was born after she married James Harris, her undergraduate love, and returned to school to earn a degree in respiratory therapy from Northwestern University Medical School. She then oversaw the respiratory care teams at Massachusetts General Hospital and Loyola University Medical Center.

She was appointed as an Associate in Anesthesia to the Harvard Medical School faculty in 1989 in honor of her work in the field, publications, and leadership. Because of her attraction to Maine, she was lucky to find employment at Maine Medical Center, where she spent 22 years. She worked as the administrative director of pulmonary medicine for the first ten years. She spent many nights driving to Boston to finish her master’s degree in public health at Boston University, graduating with honors. She was very involved in the healthcare industry and loved the experience. She was instrumental in establishing a smoke-free campus at Maine Medical Center. She worked her whole career at Maine Medical Center, where she was the Trauma Program Manager and helped the hospital get its first Level 1 Trauma Center certification.

She had a contagious zeal for life, and those who knew her well were aware of her adventurous spirit. In her lifetime, she read thousands of books, making her a voracious reader. She liked making and receiving book recommendations. She was a gifted photographer who gave the gift of her photos to others, bringing them immense delight. She was a member of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club’s women’s crew and was a sailor. While residing in Boston in the 1980s, she found windsurfing to be so enjoyable that she dared to windsurf in the Charles River. Later, she expanded her love of watersports to include kayaking and paddleboarding. She was a runner who completed the Beach to Beacon eleven times, her favorite road race.

She was involved in the Portland ukulele scene, enjoyed music, and was a ukulele enthusiast. Her limited selection of white, red, or blue Keds as a child led to a great love of sneakers. Her impressive sneaker collection began when a friend gave her a pair of Chuck Taylor sneakers at a time when doing so went against social conventions. She had a long-standing relationship with Martha’s Vineyard, where she cherished her time with loved ones and the water. She was a devoted grandmother to her cherished granddaughters Avery and Elliott, who knew her affectionately as “KK,” as well as a loving mother to her adored daughter Amy. Her beloved cavapoo Emerson, whom she regarded as a gift from the universe, accompanied her on many trips to their house across the street. With with grace, Kathryn accepted her pancreatic cancer diagnosis. She was grateful for a protracted remission that allowed her to spend more time with her loved ones.

Through the Dempsey Center, she was able to meet a lot of very special people who shared her passion for the cancer community. The benefit of having cancer, in her opinion, was these friends and this community. Her parents, John H. Ware Jr. and Jane Dickie Ware, as well as her brother David Taylor Ware, predeceased her. Her daughter Amy, son-in-law Jeff, granddaughters Avery and Elliott, brother Peter and his wife Diane, nephew Jared and his wife Jenn, and their two sons Harlem and Davis, as well as her beloved dog Emerson, survive her. Please think about making a donation to the Dempsey Center in her name rather than sending flowers.

She would appreciate it if you wore your favorite sneakers or played a song on the ukulele in memory of her while remembering your own special moments with her. A memorial service will be held at the Hope Gateway Church, located at 509 Forest Avenue in Portland, Maine, on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.

Kathryn Harris Obituary, Death – After a brief cancer recurrence, Kathryn “Kathy” Ware Harris, 77, died away quietly at her daughter’s house on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. She shared her early years in Chatham, New Jersey, with her brothers Peter and David. She was born on July 17, 1945, in Orange, New Jersey, to her…