In Memoriam Vera A. Harrison

Vera A. Harrison

Vera A. Harrison, a 51 year resident of Garden City passed away on July 11, 2007 at the age of 85 due to complications from her five year battle with Parkinson's disease.

Vera Hart was born on May 31, 1922 at Williamsburg Hospital in Brooklyn. She grew up in Floral Park and was a proud member of the Sewanhaka High School class of 1940. After one year of study at Pace Institute (now Pace University) she began her career as a secretary, "retiring" to become a full time housewife in 1949 when she married William T. Harrison, a fellow member of the Sewanhaka Class of '40.

They settled down on Tulip Ave. in Floral Park where their first two children Joan and Maureen were born. In 1956, they moved to their first and only house on Locust St. in Garden City where their children William Jr. and Robert were born.

Tragedy struck in 1962 when her husband died suddenly leaving Vera with four children aged 11, 7, 5 and 1. She became a single Mom long before it became a demographic or a "life style choice". Like many of the "Greatest Generation", she never whined or complained about her circumstances. She just did what she had to do to raise four young children all by herself. She would consider her greatest success to have raised four college graduates - a goal she and her husband had set so long ago. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever contemplate having to complete this mission alone.

She was fiercely self sufficient, strong willed and always sacrificed her needs for her children. Yet she managed to attend every school event, sporting event or any other event that was important to each of her children. While her children grew up to have widely divergent interests and political views, she was always interested in hearing what each had to say and enjoyed a good argument now and then!

A great joy in her life were her eight grandchildren. She loved to baby sit and took great delight in seeing each child do well in whatever they chose to do.

Vera's great passions in life besides her family were Canasta and bowling. Her Tuesday night Canasta group of childhood friends played together for over 50 years! She bowled in as many as three leagues at one time and threw a sixteen pound ball until well into her 70's when back surgery forced her to switch to a twelve pound ball. Even as her health began to fail and she could no longer bowl or even drive, her ever loyal friends always made sure she made it to the diner for lunch with the group on bowling day.

She led a long and rich life and is now back with the one true love of her life, at peace and in a better place.

She is survived by Joan Harrison and Michael Ach and their children Emily and Chloe of Glen Cove, Maureen Harrison and James LaFratta of Rockville Centre, William and Mary Harrison and their children Jessica, William and James of Franklin Square and Robert and Gilda Harrison and their children Daniel, Victoria and Brian of Jericho.

A funeral mass was held at St. Joseph's Church followed by burial at St. John's Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.