MOUNT VERNON – Patricia Waggaman Harris passed away on April 2, 2021. She was 71 years old. She was born in Mount Vernon to Robert Waggaman and Mary Alice (Shrack) Waggaman.
Pat spent a large portion of her childhood in Park Forest, Illinois, before moving back to Mount Vernon for high school. At Mount Vernon High School, she met her husband-to-be, Jeffrey Harris, in the lunch line. Following high school, Pat attended Albion College in Albion, Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She later went on to earn a Master of Library Science from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
Upon graduation from Albion, Pat and Jeff married and eventually settled in Bethlehem, North Carolina, where they raised two children, Christopher and Bethany. Pat worked as a librarian/media specialist for many years, first at West Alexander Junior High School and then at Hickory High School. She earned her National Board Certification while at Hickory High School.
Pat had a love of the outdoors, including walking, gardening and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She loved spending time with friends. She also enjoyed pottery, books, chocolate, traveling and a glass of wine. For the last fifteen years, she embarked on those pursuits and many other adventures with her partner, Gene Spainhour, of Hickory. Most of all, she loved her four grandchildren.
Pat will be lovingly remembered by her children, Chris and Alissa Harris of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Bethany Harris and Leopoldo Sasso of Brooklyn, New York; and her grandchildren, Hadley, Benjamin, Leopoldo and Clara. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Craig and Linda Waggaman of Radford, Virginia.
Pat was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Jeffrey Harris in 1993.
A celebration of Pat’s life will be planned in the future in Hickory, North Carolina.
Memorial donations can be made in Pat’s memory to the following: Bethlehem Branch Friends of the Library, 45 Rink Dam Road, Hickory, NC 28601; The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter, 4 N. Blount St., Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27601; or Compassionate Care ALS, P.O. Box 1052, West Falmouth, MA 02574.
For online guestbook and obituary, please visit www.chapmanfuneral.com.
