Catherine Harris

She made what can only be described as a blue-ribbon apple cake. Everyone called her “Granny”, which was a badge of honor to Catherine Elizabeth (Kerr) Harris, born to Malcolm and Evelyn (Moore) Kerr on September 25, 1935 in Pasco, WA. Cathie passed on December 22, 2025, with her husband, children, and granddaughters at her side. She will forever be cherished and well-remembered by her husband of 70 years, Bob; children: Joe and Alice Harris, Jacque and Barry DePaoli; beloved grandchildren: great grandchildren: Kaiti (Harris) and Eric Carlstrom, Elliotte, Calvin; Joe and Leti Harris, Penelope; Jaicee (Harris) and Jeff Tuel, Harlie, Hank; Maghara DePaoli and Makenzie Harris: as well as a devoted tribe of cousins, nieces, nephews…including close friends whom she considered her “chosen” family. Cathie and her sister, Marilyn (Kerr) Gant, who coincidentally was born on Cathie’s birthday 2 years later, grew up on a small farm in Benton City, WA. Cathie often said how lucky she was to have been raised in such close proximity to her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She loved her appaloosa horse, “Sparky”, became an accomplished horsewoman and enjoyed an active school life, including cheerleading, half-court basketball and 4-H Club. Bob and Cathie were high school sweethearts at Kiona Benton High School. Following graduation, she attended Washington State College. In 1954 she enrolled in the Pasco School of Cosmetology where she earned her WA State Beautician’s certificate. Cathie practiced her craft with pride and diligence for well over 65 years and always had a knack for making her clients and friends feel better about themselves when they left her chair. In 1955, Cathie married Robert (Bob) G. Harris in Benton City where they made their first home. When Bob was drafted in 1957, they moved to Renton where Cathie worked for Boeing. Following Bob’s discharge from the Army they returned to Benton City to raise their young family until 1967, when they moved to Chelan, WA. For over 20 years, Cathie was known an energetic and trusted employee at both the Fashionette Beauty Salon and the Lake Chelan School District where she worked as a para-professional in the Migrant Program. In 1971, Bob and Cathie bought an apple orchard on Isenhart Road which they operated together for 30 years. Although it was a lot of hard work, in many ways her life on the orchard was a dream come true for Cathie as she was always drawn to the land, to farming, and to raising her family in a small, closeknit community. Cathie’s genuine love of people, her “can-do” attitude, and her grit served her well in caring for both her family and the community in a variety of ways: 4-H leader, Babe Ruth Baseball coach, Chelan Co. Fair Board member, Hospital Guild Y member, volunteer English teacher for migrant orchard workers, Chelan Eagles member, MOE Book Fair and classroom volunteer, just to name a few. We won’t soon forget some of her trademark sayings… “You can, if you will.”, “What’s meant for you, will not go by you.”, the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.” And, of course, it is well known that “Granny liked everybody!” True to form, Catherine Elizabeth Harris shared some valuable wisdom with us before she departed. She described the happiness and peace she felt in knowing that she is deeply loved and she expressed gratitude for the good life that she had lived…a life that if she were to live it again, she wouldn’t change a thing. The family would like to extend their thanks to the many gifted and compassionate health care professionals in both Chelan and Wenatchee who cared for Cathie. Our thanks, also, to our friends and family for their heartfelt condolences. The family will host a Celebration of Life for Cathie in Chelan this summer, with information and details to follow. Precht Rose Chapel, of Chelan, WA, is assisting the family with arrangements.

Tributes

Catherine Harris

September 25, 1935 - December 22, 2024