Loraine Harris

Loraine Mendoza Burck Harris, 78, was delivered from the sufferings of this life at 10:00 a.m. on Christmas morning, December 25, 2024. Somehow it seems very fitting that on the day we celebrate the delivery of our Savior as a human babe into the arms of his earthly mother, we celebrate the delivery of our mother into the arms of her Savior. Through the ups and downs of life, Lorie’s faith was sustained by God’s grace, and her honesty in pursuing her own healing is commendable. We honor her for this, and as her children and grandchildren, we arise and call her blessed (Proverbs 31:28).

Lorie was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when she was six years old. She grew up there and graduated from Helene Fuld School of Nursing in New Jersey. She married Wesley Frank Harris at the age of 19. Together they moved to Dallas, Texas for her husband to attend seminary. She had three children, Deborah Elaine, Ruth Marie, and David Wesley. Lorie worked for many years as a surgical nurse and later provided pre/post-op care at a cataract surgical practice. She moved with her family to Cumberland Center, Maine in 1984 where she became a pastor’s wife at Faith Baptist Church in North Yarmouth, Maine. She served others faithfully in this difficult role for over a quarter century. Lorie was known for her sweet sense of humor and her family reflects often on funny interactions with her. During the last twelve years of her life Lorie enjoyed developing her gifts of jewelry making, clay crafting, crocheting, and painting, proving herself to be a creative and talented artist. An additional evidence of Lorie’s creativity is the beautiful way she decorated her home. Lorie’s final years were lived in the Carolinas, with two years in Fort Mill, South Carolina, two years in Matthews, North Carolina, two years in Morehead City, North Carolina near the ocean which she really enjoyed, and her final four years in Rock Hill, South Carolina where she lived with her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren, as well as her two cats, Amigo and Annabelle, who brought her much joy.

The week before Thanksgiving 2024 she experienced a stroke due to presumed cancer in her brain and after a rapid progression of illness, she passed away on Christmas morning.

Lorie was predeceased by her parents, William and Gladys Burck, her sister, Kathy, and brother, Russell, as well as her ex-husband, Wesley. Lorie is survived by her sister, Cecelia, her daughters, Deborah and Ruth, her son David (wife Ruth), and her grandchildren, Daniel and Hannah.

A Celebratory Memorial Service is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Friday, 1/10/2025 at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel on Ebenezer Road in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Live streaming of the service will be available for out-of-town relatives and friends.

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