Sally Harris

Sally Harris, 82, passed away in Portland, Oregon on October 20, 2016.

She was born in Bellingham, Washington to Earl Haseltin and Jesse (Garletts) Haseltin. Shortly after her graduation from Bismarck High School in 1952 she moved to Valdez, Alaska. Sally attended the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where she met Robert (Bob) Harris. They wed in 1954 and moved to Idaho where Sally graduated from the University of Idaho in 1957 with a degree in Elementary Education. Shortly before graduation Bob joined the U.S. Army, and Sally spent the next 25 years as a military wife, moving her family around the United States and to Germany.

They returned to Alaska in 1978. Sally and Bob divorced in 1984; and Sally graduated from Alaska Pacific University with a Master’s Degree in Teaching in 1992. She left Alaska in 1999 and lived in the Pacific Northwest until her death. Sally was a past president of the Anchorage Business and Professional Women’s Association, a life member of the Pioneers of Alaska, a member of the Anchorage Genealogy Society, an election registrar in Alaska and Washington, a volunteer ESL instructor, and a sales representative for Mary Kay cosmetics.

Sally’s passion was genealogy and spent most of her adult life tracing her family’s history, investigating birth and death records of her ancestors, and connecting with long lost relatives. Her signature accomplishment was her work of mothering four now-grown children: Kathy Harris of Anchorage, Alaska, Steve Harris of Anchorage, Alaska, Sandra Harris of Wasilla, Alaska and Rebecca Campbell of Lake Oswego, Oregon.

She was a committed mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and was actively involved in the lives and accomplishments of her children, as well as her grandchildren Kelsey, Amy, Mackenzie, Lucas, Quinn, Kellen, Cade and Carson, and her three great-grandchildren Kash, Charlotte, and Camila.

A memorial open house will be held on Nov. 5, 2016 at Beaverton Lodge in Beaverton, Oregon from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. A private graveside ceremony will be held in the spring of 2017 at the Bay View Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, Washington where Sally will be laid to rest. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 825 Eastlake Ave. E., PO Box 19023, Seattle, Washington 98109-1023.