Mary C. Harris

Mary Catherine Harris (nee McNerney) passed away peacefully on Friday, October 21, 2022 at the age of 83. Mary was preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Beatrice McNerney, brother Tommy, and her infant son. She is survived by her sister Barbara Adams, children Amy Watson (Michael), Geoffrey Harris (Lisa), Thomas Harris, Jennifer Freihofner, and Elizabeth Williams (Colin). She is also survived by her grandchildren Steven Watson, Brittany Pollard (Tony), Samantha Harris, Gabriella Spriddell, Lauren Harris, Nicholas Freihofner, Alexander Freihofner and great-grandchildren Rowan Watson, Caleb Watson, Brooklyn Pollard, Skylar Pollard, Anthony Pollard and many other dear family and friends. Mary was born September 28, 1939 in Geneva, N.Y. and was a member of St. Stephens Catholic Church for many years. She was a devout Catholic and had a deep faith in God which she shared with her family. All of her children were born in Geneva as well and baptized at St. Stephens. Her Catholic faith was central to her life. She graduated from De Sales High School and obtained her bachelor's degree from The College of Saint Rose in 1961. Mary was very proud of her Irish heritage. She took classes to learn Gaelic, was a member of the Shamrock Club in Columbus, Ohio, adored Irish step dancing and Irish music, especially live performances to which she frequently took her family. Her love of all things Irish combined exceptionally well with her love of college football as her number one team will forever be The Fighting Irish. Go Notre Dame! Mary was an avid reader throughout her life and passed that on to all of her children. She loved history and especially enjoyed American history and reading about the early days and founding of our country. Mary loved to travel, visiting her dream destination of Ireland to kiss the Blarney Stone. She had an amazing adventure touring Rome, Paris and London with her daughter Elizabeth. She also loved the sun and ocean and took trips to Bermuda, Bahamas, and Virginia Beach, collecting sea shells from each location. She took a special trip to Hawaii with her son Geoff and his family. Her love of American history led to several family trips to sightsee in Washington D.C. A favorite stop of hers was the Smithsonian National Zoo where she would see her favorite animal, The Giant Panda. Mary collected pandas throughout the years and had the great thrill of being a docent for the panda exhibit at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio. In addition to pandas, Mary loved all other animals, including the cats, dogs, and frogs that her daughter Jennifer would bring home as new pets. Mary was a constant source of love and support for her family. When her daughter Amy joined the Navy, she baked 500 cookies and shipped them to boot camp. She was very proud when her son Thom joined the Army which made watching the Army/Navy game a lot of fun for her. From the time her children were little, all the way through her great-grandchildren, she attended every sporting event, concert, recital, and other activities that made every child feel they were the most special to her. Marys greatest joy in life was truly rooted in her family and she will be so greatly missed by many. Her traditions and spirit will live on through her family. Funeral services will be held at St. Stephens Church in Geneva, New York in the spring of 2023. In lieu of flowers contributions can be made to St. Stephens in Marys name.