Leilia Lorraine Harris

Leilia “Lei” Harris passed away peacefully on Friday April 2, 2010 at her home in Bremerton, WA surrounded by her family after a courageous 12-year battle with cancer. She had recently celebrated her 71st birthday.

Lei was born in Kooskia, ID to Naomi Sanford and William Mendenhall. During her younger years she lived in Kooskia and Lewiston, ID and Clarkston, WA. Lei married her husband of 53 years, Lionel Harris, December 28th, 1956 in Lewiston and they soon moved to Federal Way, WA where they began their family of 5 children. When they had outgrown their home in Federal Way, the family moved to Enumclaw, WA and lived in a beautiful home that Lei designed. Once the kids were grown, Lei carried on her role as a caretaker by opening an adult family home (Harris House) that she successfully operated for 14 years. Eventually, Lei closed her business to fight her illness and moved to her new home on Panther Lake in Bremerton, WA. This is an elegant Victorian home that she also designed and had built with retirement in mind.

Lei relished her role as caretaker for both her patients and her family. She was continuously involved with helping her children, grandchildren, mother and siblings. There was nothing she loved more than to gather her family, feed them oodles of food and watch her grandchildren play. When she was not providing care for others, Lei received much enjoyment from shopping, gardening, sewing and searching for additional treasures to add to her antique collection.

She was preceded in death by her parents Naomi Sanford and William Mendenhall, and her sister Delores Washburn of Kamiah, ID.

Lei is survived by her husband Lionel Gunn Harris, daughters Stacy Brown of Arlington, WA, Denise Evans of Kila, MT, Lisa Harris of Thousand Palms, CA, and two sons Michael Harris of Puyallup, WA and Eric Harris of Renton, WA. In addition to her immediate family Lei is also survived by 5 brothers David, Doug, Bud, Elton (Little Joe) and Bill Mendenhall, 2 sisters Beulah Dahlin and Jessie Mendenhall, 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, numerous cousins, nephews and nieces, as well as her beloved dog “Snickers.”