My dear mother

On December 13th my mom passed away peacefully in our loving home . She was surrounded by her family, blessed to have a last visit with all of her children before her next journey.

Claire had struggled with the life of Alzheimers for many years. We were blessed to have her in our home. Living with Alzheimers was not always easy, although at times very humorous, she may not have remembered me but I remembered her. Our home will forever feel a void without Claire.

Things that I already miss. The lights randomly being turned on and off as I am trying to cook, finding banana peels everywhere around the house except where they belonged-in the trash, hearing hello dear every time I walked in and out of the room, hearing a loud “shut up” every time the dog barked, hearing that shuffle of the feet and a faint humming that gave you a clue that she was on her way to find you, Colin and his friends getting her to say “sure and begorra” the saying that she never forgot and has become a staple with the children and their friends. Her saying on a regular basis that “we have to get out of this house , everyone here is crazy’’ . Chasing Colin around thinking he was an intruder, Colin rolling his eyes because I had how great thou are on replay for hours ( it was one song that she could remember the chourus). Her sitting out by the garden watching me water the plants and telling me that’s enough water, your done turn it off , the golden girls on the TV 24/7 (  I may not really miss the golden girls show so much). I could write a very humors book about our time together.

While taking care of my mother, was at times more than I thought I could handle, but the thought of bringing her somewhere else and not being able to know that she was being taken care of respectfully was far more painful to my heart than just being tired at times. My mom also took care of me without even realizing, we needed each other, she allowed me to process a lot from the past, she showed me how to completely open my heart , to forgive, let go and feel nothing but unconditional love and compassion, we had that for each other, you see even when it got to the point that she could no longer name all of her children , she did not know who I was but she knew that I was someone she loved deeply and would tell me over and over , I love you. When the mind goes I believe from my experience with her , that the deep love you have in your heart is still there no matter what. She loved all her children with all of her heart, Her love for everyone of us never faded and was strong in her heart.

Claire was a smart and amazing woman, a force to be reckoned with.She devoted herself to helping others, saving lives, working tirelessly in the hospitals and emergency rooms through out her career. She was highly respected among her peers and they still inquired about her over the years.

Claire Crowley Harris had always wanted a career in medicine but in the late 1950s she chose marriage to William B Harris (AKA Big Bill)and dropped out of her pre-medical program at Regis College, Weston mass. Claire became the mother of six children.

Claire had served as a nursing assistant at community memorial hospital. Menomonee Falls , Wis. from July to October 1970 and was an emergency room technician at the house of the good Samaritan from February 1973 to July of 1977.

In 1977 Claire decided to fulfill her dream of a career in medicine, her children now at the ages 11 to 20. From January 1974 to June of 1977 she studied at Jefferson community college and received her associate in arts degree. in august of 1977 she entered Albany -Hudson valley Physician’s assistant (P.A) program at Albany medical college, her children now at the age of 11-20, she began 24 months of classes and clinical experience at Albany Medical college and in October of 1980, completed a grueling 12 month surgical internship as tough as any medical intern faces in major hospitals,

In 1979 Claire passed her National certification exam , in the 94 percentile. She was now a registered Physicians assistant with surgical specialty, trained to serve as an assistant on surgical teams and to perform most of the treatment procedures on surgical patients that would normally be done by residents in training.

Her clinical studies and experience included sequences in general surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, internal medicine, emergency medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, psychiatry, otolaryngology and dermatology the same as third year medical students.

Claire spent a two month preceptorship in primary care working at mountain valley medical clinic, Londonderry, Vt and at Mary Imogene Bassett hospital, Cooperstown, in late spring of 1979.

In august of 1979 Claire was accepted for a year long program with a three month coarsen clinical surgery and the basic sciences as related to surgery at Montefiore hospital and medical center, Bronx , New York.claire had also worked in the emergency room of Jacob hospital, Bronx, the forth busiest emergency room in the country, at that time.

Claire also worked at Yonkers general hospital, Yonkers Ny on and off through the years but her main place of employment for many years was at Montefiore hospital and medical center, Bronx NY. , Where she was the chief P.A.

She retired from Monte and moved to Arizona to be close to her children and Grandchildren.

As hard as it is to face the fact that my mom is no longer by my side everyday, I am thankful that she is finally free, able to be Claire again, she had many angels there to greet her and I am sure she was thrilled to see Ben waiting for her.

“Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day, unseen, unheard, but always near, Still loved, still missed and very dear.” 

*Websters defines begorra as a euphemism for by God, so "Sure and begorra." Would mean "Sure and by God."

it actually comes from the Irish for "would you look at that". or "give attention to that".

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