Pearl Lea Harris was a dedicated baptized servant of Jehovah.

She fell asleep in death on November 14, 2023 at the age of 80.

Pearl was born on July 16, 1943, to the late Clayton & Virginia Wyche in Freeman, Virginia. She was baptized at the age of 24 as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses while attending the Crown Heights Congregation in Brooklyn NY.

Her energetic, adventurous, and strong personality developed growing up on the farm. She said everyone called her Mother as a little girl because of her take-charge personality. She was mature for her age and enjoyed helping her older sisters. Her restless spirit and curiosity about learning about life, the universe and everything about it characterized her approach to education, homemaking, and childrearing.

Shortly after the sudden loss of her Mother Virginia Wyche to a stroke when she was seven years of age, her father Clayton Wyche remarried Julia Brown. He relocated his family from Virginia to Brooklyn, NY in 1950 gaining another sister and brother she helped raise.

As a young student attending school in New York, she excelled in all her subjects but showed a keen interest and excellence in Math and especially art. She wanted to become an artist and attend art school. Her father convinced her that it wasn’t an accepted trade for young black women who at the time were encouraged to pursue technically skilled occupations.

She attended Girls High School and developed a career in bookkeeping with a later interest in becoming an Accountant. After leaving High School she used her skills at work assignments with clothing retailers and Mortgage companies becoming a Bookkeeper and Accounts Payable Specialist.

In 1966 after settling in Crown Heights Brooklyn and during her marriage to her high school sweetheart Garrett Nelson Harris, she was introduced to the Jehovah’s Witnesses by her older sister Renee Hardy and brother-in-law Emanuel Hardy. As a devoted servant throughout her life, she strongly inculcated Bible principles in her daughters Valerie Ann Harris and Adriane Felicia Harris. She conducted her personal life following Bible principles regardless of her mental and physical struggles.

In 1970 after relocating to South New Jersey, she began attending the Delran NJ congregation and Maple Shade NJ Congregation.

She described herself as a Jack of all trades master of none.

She loved listening and singing to opera and popular singers/songs of her time. She enjoyed arts and crafts, home decorating, sewing, and home repair projects. She enjoyed reading medical and health books about maintaining good nutrition and healthy habits.

Some of Her many favorite sayings were “Learn to eat Humble pie” “when you smile the world smiles with you” “Strive to be well groomed at all times” “Whatever your hands find to do, do with your whole heart and soul for Jehovah.”

She was forced into early retirement due to a continuing decline in health after relocating to Evans, GA in 2000 with her daughter Valerie. Physical ailments led to further depression and dementia until she finally succumbed to an acute stroke at the age of 80.

She leaves behind her daughters Valerie Ann Harris and Adriane Felicia Harris, one grandson Matthew Harris, her sister Renee Hardy and brother in law Emanuel Hardy, sister Vivian Luchie, as well as many uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.

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