Joani Lorie Harris

Joan Lorie (Anderson) Harris passed away at the age of 70, on Friday May 14, 2021 after a yearlong battle with Pancreatic Cancer. She is survived by her husband of almost 47 years, Gary James Harris; her eldest daughter Shauna Jalene (Harris) Gartz and her husband Matthew Edward Gartz along with their three sons Camden Harris Gartz, Maddox Harris Gartz and Tatum Harris Gartz; as well as her younger daughter Brandi Roxanne (Harris) Marcaletti and her husband Jeff Marcaletti along with their two sons Blake John Marcaletti and Evan Edward Marcaletti. She is also survived by her brother Scott Edward Anderson and his granddaughter Madison Anderson. She is also survived by several siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews and her mother-in-law Edna Janiece (Alborn) Harris. She is preceded in death by her parents Bernice Lorie (Bowen) Anderson and Edward Bernard Anderson, her nieces Brittany Anderson and Kaila (Rants) Jorgensen, her father-in-law Robert William Harris and her grand-nephew Ryan Leister.

Joani grew up in North Seattle, attending Roosevelt High School and then later Washington State University where she received her Bachelors of Arts in Sociology in 1973. Shortly after arriving at WSU, she met her future husband, Gary, who was enamored with this soft-spoken beauty.

Gary and Joani married in the summer of 1974. Gary worked at Seattle area Architecture firms while Joani went to work as a bookkeeper at Western Fleet Supply for 30 years. Joani and Gary had a daughter in 1978 followed by another daughter in 1980. Joani was the very definition of "how to have it all" - a devoted wife and mother with a full-time career, while maintaining close friendships and making time for the many, many extended family members as well.

But there was nothing Joani enjoyed more than being a mother to her girls and especially a grandmother to her five grandsons. She exuded love from every fiber of her being. Her smile made all feel welcome. Her embrace made everyone feel loved. Her laughter made anyone within earshot smile and laugh alongside of her. Her generous spirit was felt by all who knew her, so much so, her heart would oftentimes overflow in tears and spill down her cheeks. Her inquisitive mind ensured she was always kept up to date on all the happenings within her family and friends’ lives - their passions and their struggles, their love interests and their heartbreaks, their job changes and health woes, their victories and their losses. She was always there with a listening ear and a shoulder to cry or lean on. A recent engagement or pregnancy announcement was a special highlight for Joani, and she thoroughly enjoyed sharing that joyous news with others.

She loved to sit around the dinner table enjoying a good meal and discussion with her family and later, a board or card game. She loved to feed her family and made sure she always had a sweet treat to follow. Many knew her as the "hostess with the mostest" due to the many, many get togethers Gary & Joani would host throughout the years. But no day or celebration was as sacred as Christmas with her family. Joani loved to spoil her daughters on Christmas morning and later in life, that love transitioned to spoiling her grandsons.

When Western Fleet Supply closed, Joani set out on an entirely new career path working for Segue - a company that helped senior citizens to downsize into more manageable living arrangements. Joani had very fond times with her coworkers and relished relieving the stress of moving for her clients.

Though devastated by her death, we have a vivid memory of a warm, welcoming matriarch who always put others first, to see us through the darkest days ahead. We will remember how frequently her face lit up and how easily her arms opened wide. We will recall with gratitude the genuine excitement and interest she always paid to others. We will smile with joy in our hearts and tears in our eyes as we picture her laughing - how effortlessly it came and how infectious it became. We will wait patiently but fervently until the day we can be together again and feel the warmth of her spirit once more.

A celebration of her life will be held on July 17, 2021 at the family's home in Burien, Washington. In lieu of flowers, donations to help fund pancreatic cancer research may be made online at https://secure.seattlecca.org/ or sent to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, PO Box 24385, Seattle, WA 98124-0385. Checks may be made payable to SCCA with indication that they are in memory of Joan Harris.

There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.

Mahatma Gandhi