Mary Helen Harris

Mary Helen (Pond) Harris Aug. 12, 1916 - Nov. 2, 2010 Resident of Alameda Mary passed away very peacefully of natural causes in the home she and her husband, Del, built right after WW II. She was the third child born to Lt. Col Harry and "Nanette" Pond and was raised in Alameda living there her entire life. She attended Washington Grammar and Alameda High School, and after a brief period at UC Berkeley and Healds Business College she worked in a San Francisco stock brokerage. She learned to drive at eleven years old, loved to hangout with friends at the Encinal Yacht Club, and to horseback ride at Mills College. She married Del Harris in May 1939, starting a lifelong relationship as devoted wife and "Leave it to Beaver" like mom. She participated mainly because of her two sons in PTA, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Encinal Yacht Club, while managing the home, garden, dogs, and many extended family activities as most lived in Alameda at that time. Once her sons left home, you could find Mary playing Bridge, at the Garden Club, or volunteering at Alameda and Children's Hospitals. She loved gardening and the great outdoors especially camping with her husband and sons in the Sierras and the Rocky Mountains. Later in life she took up golf, playing into her 80's. She remained active until her late eighties, and loved watching old movies that would make her laugh and smile. Mary is survived by sons Jon (Ceola) and Donald (Ione), grandsons James (Julie), Bradley, and Colin (Lana) Harris, great grandchildren Jimmy, Sean, and Lainie Harris, and Step-grandsons Will Stockard (Raquel) and Greg Collins (Erika) with their newborn son , Max. Mary will be laid to rest in the Pond Family plot in St. Helena Cemetery, St. Helena, CA.