Carol May Harris, 87, passed away on Sunday, December 2, 2018. She was born in Sheboygan, WI to Dutch immigrants, Cora VanSwol Katt and William Katt. She was the fifth of seven children and grew up in Wisconsin. She attended Kenosha High School. An adventurer and lover of learning, she went to Nurses Training at Presbyterian Saint Luke's Hospital in downtown Chicago. She excelled and went on to earn her RN and BS Degree from the University of Illinois.
Carol met her husband, Clifford J. Harris, M.D. while working and going to school. They married on June 19, 1954 in Kenosha, WI, and had their first of eight children, Clifford William Harris in 1955.
Dr. Clifford Harris had completed a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Cook County and joined the Air Force as a Captain. While stationed at a NATO base in Izmir, Turkey for two years, they became enchanted with the history and the people of Turkey. Cliff and Carol traveled throughout Europe with their three infant children, Clifford William, Coralee Ann and Kathleen Rita, who was born in Turkey. They loved their experience so much they returned numerous times during their lives, sharing the experience with all of their children.
After Cliff completed his service in Europe, they set up a medical practice in Mesa, Arizona. He was the first Internist in the area. Carol supported his medical practice, starting an HMO and building a home in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. She supported the family by raising their children – which now numbered a total of eight with the addition of Kenneth John, Kurtis Jeffrey, Carolyn Sue, Kevin Bruce and Kristeen Barbara.
Carol was awarded Mesa Citizen of the year in 1982, Mesa's Mother of the Year and later Arizona Mother of the Year in 2001.
Carol authored Roots to Blossoms, a book about Mesa derived from her involvement in Mesa's happenings, including her activity in the Mesa Historical Society. In the Society, she and her family rode a 100-mile Horseback ride which traced the Mormon Pioneer's trek down the Arizona Trail to found Mesa.
She was part of the Southwest Archeological Team and obtained her certification for archeologic digs. Not only did she work Casa Malpies in Springerville, she was the driving force in preserving the Hohokam ruins and canals close to her home. The "Park of the Canals", located off Stapley Road, demonstrates Hohokam genius and put Mesa on the map in the National Historical Museum in Washington D.C. in the early 1980s.
Carol was a promoter of Women's Rights. She marched on the Phoenix Capital for Civil Rights in the 1960s and worked diligently for the League of Women Voters. She and all her daughters marched in D.C., commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage in1995.
Carol valued education and community involvement. She founded to start Inner City Kindergartens staffed by volunteer teachers and located in churches throughout the Valley like Guadalupe. She continued and spearheaded making kindergarten part of the Public Schools. She also taught children health education on the Tohono O'Odham Reservation as well as the Great Books Course to the prisoners in Florence.
She went on to earn a Master's in Nursing at ASU becoming a Certified Nurse Practitioner. She eventually returned to teach in the Nurse Practitioner program at ASU. She volunteered as a Nurse Practitioner at the Presbyterian Church in Guadelupe. Carol went on numerous medical missions in Africa, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala.
Even in her final days she emanated love to each person in her presence.
Carol requested that in lieu of flowers, please donate to the United Way, one of the charities she was proud to support. Her Memorial Service is at Grace United Methodist Church in Mesa, Arizona on January 12, 2019 at 10:00AM.
Published in The Arizona Republic on Jan. 9, 2019