Kathleen Harlan

1938 - 2021

Kathleen Anne Jarrell Harlan
1938-2021
Kathleen Anne Jarrell "Mimi" Harlan, 82, loved her life, which ended peacefully on January 25, 2021 at her home surrounded by family. For over 25 years, she faced many health issues, many brought on by Parkinson's disease, and through it all she chose to be happy. Laughter was at the heart of her personality.
Kathy leaves her husband of 57 years, Charles; her children Jeff Harlan (Carol Peterson), Jennifer Harlan (Mark Blanchard) and Kimberly Harlan (Marcus Trejo); and grandchildren Reed Blanchard, Tess Trejo and Travis Trejo. She is preceded by her parents Cleo and Mildred Jarrell, her sister Virginia Jarrell Schoning, her aunt Florence Cabe and her son-in-law Mark Blanchard. She was their light, and they were more important to her than anything else.
Born in Sulpher, Oklahoma on October 16, 1938, Kathy lived in Washington State and California, where she attended the University of Redlands on a debate scholarship and graduated in 1960 with a degree in Government. She was a proud member of Alpha Theta Phi sorority. After graduation, she went to work in Washington D.C. on the staff of Senator John Sherman Cooper where she met Charlie. She had a parking place in front of the U.S. Senate, where she worked, and Charlie had a car, and the marriage was a long, happy union. They moved to Texas in 1964 when Charlie came to work for the manned space program and Kathy volunteered her many talents to the community at large. Her life was filled with music, laughter, friendship and an abundance of love.
To Kathy, family was everything. While raising her three children, she loved to participate in youth sports as a coach for soccer and tennis, a board member of the Clear Creek Swim League and as a youth mentor. When her grandchildren came along, she would share their interests- talking baseball, playing scrabble and attending every one of their performances.
She and Charlie spent many years traveling the globe together and liked learning about all the places they visited. The two enjoyed creating their own adventures- skiing in Colorado, scuba diving in the Keys, trekking in Nepal, hiking the Grand Canyon and exploring many countries in Western and Central Europe.
Kathy and Charlie are fortunate to have an exceptional group of longtime friends with which to share their lives - family trips, celebrations of achievements, parades, parties, songs and dances for any occasion and support through difficult times. The fellowship of these friends has been extremely important to her and her family.
Kathy's love of writing was appreciated by the surrounding communities. Not only did she write for several local publications: The Forest Log, The Citizen, Change Magazine, Life is Good, and was published nationally, she was also the newsletter editor for the Houston Symphony League and interviewed over 100 Clear Lake residents. Those fortunate enough to know her were often graced with a heartfelt piece regaling a favorite memory, which they will cherish beyond her time.
Kathy's friends remember her as a lifeblood of the community. She will be remembered for her years of work as a City Council member for the City of Taylor Lake Village, as a long-time board member of the Bay Area Turning Point and honoree at the Men and Women of Heart Gala, a lifetime member with the Houston Symphony League Bay Area and her active participation in Houston Area Parkinson's Society (HAPS) until the effects of the disease finally limited her abilities.
For many years, Kathy was a passionate tennis player, alongside her children, and continued playing until Parkinson's stopped her. She liked to say she discovered her Parkinson's when she started losing matches to her kids. She and her daughter Jennifer represented Texas at the 1984 Mother-Daughter finals of the Equitable Family Challenge at the U.S. Tennis Open in New York City, combining her love of tennis and competitive mindset. She was Captain of the Bay Area Racquet Club's Championship Level Houston Ladies Tennis Association team, won the Clear Lake Tennis Association Championship Level Singles one year and valued being a member of the "Margarita Mama's".
She had a lifetime love of music, growing up singing in the church, and expanding her range to many different genres throughout her life. She played the piano, glockenspiel, accordion and her favorite – the triangle. She loved to go to concerts – both classical and rock - and had a music collection to rival her children's.
An avid foodie, Kathy loved to try new restaurants. She loved to peruse the menus and especially enjoyed the anticipation of what she would get. Sweets were held in the highest regard – she never met one that she didn't love. Her grandchildren were frequently the recipients of "secret" treats though were usually caught by the evidence left behind.
Though Kathy faced many medical issues in her lifetime, she remained full of joy and laughter until the end. She treated everyone as an equal, rarely lost her temper, and put others first. She was a loving wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. Her memory will live on through the family she invested everything into, the community she worked so hard to enrich, and the positive impact on the lives of everyone she touched.
Due to the COVID virus, no services are planned at this time, but a memorial service filled with the music she loved will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, Kathy requested donations be made in her name to Bay Area Turning Point www.bayareaturningpoint.org or Houston Area Parkinson Society www.hapsonline.org.