December 4, 1940 – March 5, 2024

Jeanne E. Harris (nee Helser) passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, March 5, 2024.  She was 83 years old.  She was born at Northeastern Hospital in Philadelphia and grew up in the Fox Chase section of the city.  She was a 1958 graduate of Frankford High School and a 1961 graduate of Episcopal School of Nursing in Philadelphia.  She was employed at Episcopal Hospital and Lower Bucks Hospital before taking a break to raise her family.  She went back to work and retired from Harris Comfort in Bristol Borough.

A longtime resident of Hulmeville, Jeanne is survived by her husband of 60 years, Dave, and their three sons and daughters-in-law, David R. (Diane), T. Scott (Christine), and Douglas A. (Michele).  She will be sadly missed by her grandchildren, Taylor, Jillian, Ryan, Dana, David Jacob (DJ), Courtney, and Scotty Harris.  She is also survived by her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Bruce & Christine Harris, Stephen Harris (the late Marina), Tom & Patricia Harris, and Jeannie & Stan Phillips.  She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, Cindy Weber-Laughlin (Rob), Matt Weber (Pam), John Buck, Marilyn Fox (Chuck), Erica Phillips, Candice Harris-Mundy (Patrick), and Stacy Phillips, as well as several great nieces and nephews.  “Ma J” will be missed by Phiroza Stoneback (nee Hathiram) who was an exchange student who quickly became part of the Harris family; and her Yorkie, Daisy Mae.  Jeanne was preceded in death by her parents Russell W. and Grace R. Helser (nee Kleinz) and her sister Dorothy G. Weber.

Raised in the Methodist faith, Jeanne was a 45-year member of the Presbyterian Church at Bristol where she served as a Sunday school teacher, Trustee, Elder, and was a member of the choir and bell choir.  When the Bristol church closed, she and Dave became members of Newtown Presbyterian Church.

Jeanne moved from Philadelphia in 1963 when she married Dave.  They settled in Hulmeville Borough and that has been “home” ever since.  Their home has been the center of many family birthday and holiday celebrations.  Those family gatherings have expanded to include neighbors and friends.  And although she was not a Bristolian, through her marriage to Dave, Bristol became an integral part of her life.  She enjoyed attending Dave’s high school reunions as well as many other functions in Bristol.  When they first met in 1961 at a mutual acquaintance’s wedding reception, the night was young and so Dave took her to socialize at Goodwill Hose Company #3.

Jeanne was a member of the Bristol Junior Travel Club, a lifetime member of William Penn Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary, the Hulmeville Historical Society, and the Langhorne Community Memorial Association.  She also served as a Cub Scout Den Mother.

Jeanne and Dave have been fortunate to travel the United States, Canada, South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and Europe. They enjoyed traveling with their family and with their longtime friends, Sam and Dottie Black, as well as with their neighbors and friends of neighbors.

Anybody who knew Jeanne knew she loved dogs, which is surprising since she did not grow up with any pets.  Six months after they got married, Dave snuck a puppy into the house.  From that point on, they’ve always had a dog.  Some of those dogs were dalmatians and that lead to her collecting anything and everything dalmatian.  She was also a fan of Donald Duck and has a large collection of nativity scenes.

Besides singing in choirs in school and church, Jeanne enjoyed classical and country music as well as her beloved traditional church hymns.  She also played the accordion and piano.  She enjoyed the theater in New York and Philadelphia, as well as the Bristol Riverside Theatre.  She also enjoyed the Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra concerts.

Friends may call Friday evening, March 15, 2024 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Wade Funeral Home, 1002 Radcliffe Street, Bristol Borough and Saturday morning, March 16, 2024 from 9:30-10:45 a.m. at Newtown Presbyterian Church, 25 North Chancellor Street, Newtown.  Funeral Service will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Newtown Presbyterian Church followed by interment at Beechwood Cemetery, Bensalem, PA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Salvation Army Levittown, 215 Appletree Drive, Levittown, PA 19055; Newtown Presbyterian Church, 25 North Chancellor Street, Newtown, PA 18940; Stanford Medicine Center for Narcolepsy, Stanford University Development Services, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94309 (indicate “Support for the Mignot Lab at Stanford”); Chandler Hall Hospice Services, 99 Barclay Street, Newtown, PA 18940; or Mercy Ships, P.O. Box 2020, Garden Valley, TX 75771.

Service Details

In Memory of
Jeanne E. Harris

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