Joann Marilyn Harry

Her beloved husband of 71 years, Will Harry, died in October, 2022. Joann and Will’s two daughters Linda Harry and Gail Chadwick (Winfield) survive her. Also remaining to celebrate Joann’s life are Linda’s son, Warren Chamberlain, his wife and three children, nine of her twelve nieces and nephews, their spouses and children. Joann’s immediate and extended families were the most important priorities in her life.

Joann was the only child of Ethel and Buck Harris of Erie, PA. She was born January 26, 1934. She grew up in Erie, the treasured child of a large extended family of German immigrants. She graduated from Strong Vincent High School in 3 ½ years.

Will Harry graduated from Greenville High School and then moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to live with one of his sisters. He started attending St. John’s Lutheran Church and joined the choir, where he met his future wife, Joann Harris. They married in 1951 while Will was serving in the US Navy.

In 1958, Joann and Will’s family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona where Will’s two sisters’ families were living. Joann raised Linda and Gail and ran her Avon business, while Will worked at Motorola. After they bought American Guard Dog Service in 1971, Joann kept the books for their small business.

The family attended Grace Lutheran Church in downtown Phoenix where Joann and Will sang in the choir. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meant potlucks that rotated to different houses within the family. Joann loved music, and also sang in a community group called the McConnell Singers. She made sure her girls learned about the arts, taking them to concerts and plays from the time they were very young. She enjoyed traveling, flowers, and collecting stamps, cut glass lead crystal and teddy bears.

Joann loved handcrafts such as knitting, crocheting, embroidery and ceramics. She learned quilting from her mother-in-law and won prizes at the Arizona State Fair for her beautiful hand-stitched quilts. She was a talented seamstress and made clothing for her family, from Halloween costumes to prom dresses, school clothes, doll clothes, and even Gail’s wedding dress. She made curtains, table linens and recovered furniture for their homes and for their cabin overlooking Lynx Creek near Prescott, and their mobile home near Payson.

She enjoyed her TOPS Club and made many lifelong friendships there. She also volunteered in nearly every leadership role during over fifty years of club membership.

Joann was a cancer survivor of more than twenty-five years. She mourned her husband deeply and died from complications of aging. Joann Harry was a warm and loving person, who enjoyed her life and her family and dear friends. She is loved and missed by many.

Joann Harry’s funeral will be held on Friday, June 20, 2025 at Green Acres Cemetery, 401 Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257. Viewing at 10:00am, Funeral service at 11:00 am followed by a brief graveside ceremony. All are welcome.