Harriet Louise Murphy Awapara

1931 - 2022

Harriet Louise Murphy Awapara
09/03/1931 - 08/26/2022
Harriet Louise Murphy Awapara passed from life August 26, 2022, 90 years of a full life. She was born September 3, 1931 to Thomas Austin Murphy and Ethel Christensen Murphy.
She grew up in West University, Texas and graduated from San Jacinto HS in 1950. She attended Massey Business School and classes at the Houston Medical Center. She worked at M.D. Anderson Hospital where she met her husband, Jorge Awapara who was a research chemist at the hospital. After eight long years of courtship, they were married at the Rice University Chapel. By that time Jorge had been hired as an associate professor eventually becoming a full professor.
Harriet loved traveling. Their first trip was to Mexico for the summer of 1965 when Jorge taught there. Since Jorge was born in Peru and had family there, they made numerous trips to visit. They traveled to Europe twice and a trip to Scandinavia.
Harriet was an avid genealogist that led her to people in Norway who helped her translate family letters. She accumulated voluminous information on the Murphy and Christensen families.
Harriet had friends from the many organizations in which she was involved. She volunteered for the Blue Bird Circle for 30 years, belonged to the Rice Faculty Women's Book Club, and was active in an investment club.
Harriet knew when it was time to sell her house and move into a retirement community. After researching she picked Brazos Towers at Bayou Manor. At her new residence she made new friends and reconnected with many old friends.
One of Harriet's passions was animals. She loved all animals. Her plan was to have a cat and a dog. Once she got cats, dogs were not part of the picture. Over the years she had at least 8 beloved cats.
Survivors include nephews and nieces, Dennis Davis, Mary Davis Aguilar, John Davis, Shannon Davis, Shelley Connors, Janie Morgan Rhodes, third cousin Kim Stiverson, numerous second and third nieces and nephews, numerous beloved friends and kind and loving caregivers the last two weeks of her life.
A celebration of life was given at Brazos Tower at Bayou Manor on August 30, 2022.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made in her memory to the:
Jorge and Harriet Awapara Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Research in the Biosciences
Rice University
Office of Development -
MS 81
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, Texas 77251-1892
Contributors can make a gift online at:
giving.rice.edu
-or-
Houston SPCA