JoAnn Harris

Jo Ann Harris, 81, of Beaumont passed away Wednesday, August 11th, 2021. She was born on April 8th, 1940 to Leon H. and Rose Marie Henderson in Beaumont. She and Travis Harris married in 1958 and enjoyed 63 years of life together.

Jo Ann loved to cook and bake for family and friends and turned that love into a catering business, Harris Catering. She put her love into everything she cooked and baked, and her food filled both stomachs and souls.

She also enjoyed her time as a realtor for twenty years. During this time, she was president of the Women’s Council of Realtors. She was also on the T.A.R. committee “Make America Better” at the request from then Governor Mark White to advocate for people with special needs and establish public accessibility accommodations.

Her hobbies were vast and various, including raising show dogs, working with horses, gardening, sewing and beading, hunting and fishing, and participating and competing in pow wows with her native friends and family.

Jo Ann was a creative person with many talents and gifts. There’s no doubt that God worked through her hands. There was absolutely nothing she couldn’t do. She could make a meal from hardly anything, fashion a dress from scraps of cloth, create timeless jewelry from thread and beads, make a broken piano boogie, and fill your heart with her smile. She was full of light and joy. She lit up every room she walked into and had an undeniable, unforgettable presence. Jo Ann was a ray of sunshine, and her passing leaves the world a slightly dimmer place. She will be sorely missed but remembered forever. Her legacy will live on through her family, friends, and the many people that had the privilege of knowing her.

Family meant everything to Jo Ann. She was a proud wife, mother, and grandmother. She devoted every moment of her life to giving her family her all. She cherished every moment and made many lasting lifetime memories with them.

Jo Ann enjoyed life with her beloved husband, Travis Sr. and her children Mary and Travis Jr. and later with grandchildren, Abigail and Travis III. She is preceded in death by her parents. Survivors include her husband Travis Harris Sr., daughter Mary Ellen Harris, son Travis Harris and wife Maria, brother Leon Henderson Jr., grandchildren Abigail Harris and Travis Harris III, and nieces Cassandra Henderson-Kilgore, and Suzanne Harris Taylor and husband Jerry Taylor.

Jo Ann’s family extends their gratitude to many people for their help and support. Heart of Texas (HCT) Hospice, Elsie, Amanda, Doris, Chaplain Belinda, Joe Chapman, John Alden Wright, Mrs. Charlotte Sparrow, Mrs. Mary Ann Renner, Mrs. Betty White, and the Pallbearers.

A gathering of Mrs. Harris’ family and friend will be from 4:00 p.m., until 7:00 p.m., with a Rosary recited at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, August 15, 2021, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Monday, August 16, 2021, at St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, with her interment to follow at Warren Cemetery, Warren.

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