Patricia A. (Street) Harris of St. George Utah, 62 years old, passed away on Friday September 9, 2011. She was born May 13, 1949 to John and Peggy Street in Salt Lake City, Utah. She married her high school sweetheart, John Harris, on July 10, 1971 in Bakersfield, California. She was a devoted wife, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and especially a friend who loved everyone unconditionally.
Patty was raised mostly in Utah and California; she lived in Pennsylvania for a short time. She was proud to be a student of the Schools for the Deaf; she excelled in her studies, especially in Math. She graduated from the Berkley, CA School for the Deaf in 1969 and was a part of the Student Body Government as the Treasurer. After graduation, she attended the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, NY. Most recently she was proud to be a student at Dixie State College; she was working on her Bachelor's Degree in Business. As a grandmother of 7 children, she was determined to set an example of the importance of a college education...and no one is too old to go back to school! She has inspired so many others to follow in her footsteps.
Most of all she was proud to be a loving wife and mother...mothering never ended with just her children...she loved being a mother and friend to everyone. She understood the potential that everyone has and sought to bring it out in everyone. She openly shared her passion for sewing, quilting, crafting, the arts, traveling anywhere, Disney and Disneyland, collecting everything Cats and Roosters, American Sign Language and her Deaf Heritage, her business, Mom's Quilt Shack," and selling Watkins Products and above all her shared her passion for learning. Being Deaf only meant she couldn't hear. She didn't see it as a disability and she shared that message everywhere with everyone.
She most recently celebrated her 40th Wedding Anniversary in July with her husband by going on a Disney Cruise to the Caribbean.
She is survived by her sweet and loving husband, John Harris; her daughters Jackie (Jimmy) Harris, and Penny (DJ) McGee; her 7 amazing grandchildren and grandpets; her mother, Peggy Street; brother, Jack Street, and sister, Carol (John) Baker.
Patty's wishes are to have a Celebration of Life, which will be held:
Friday, September 16 at 5 p.m. at the Southwind Chapel 1156 North 1400 West in St. George, Utah
We would like to extend our deepest and most sincere thanks to the medical teams at Emergency Department and ICU at Dixie Regional Medical Center where they worked tirelessly around the clock with her. We also want to especially thank Dr. Scott Parkinson for all his effort over the years of caring for Patty, we want you to kno she truly loved having you as her Physician.
You can shed tears that she is gone,
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live in yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her only that she is gone,
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back,
Or you can do what she'd want; smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
--David Harris, Grandson--
