Patricia Dianne Harrison's Obituary
Our beautiful, smart, sweet, and feisty mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt Patricia Dianne Sheehan Harrison, 77, of Germantown, passed away February 15, 2022 after a long and difficult fight with Interstitial Lung Disease.
Patricia was born in Memphis on April 28, 1944 to Tom and Evelyn Sheehan and attended Sacred Heart School, Siena College, and the University of Memphis. In 1969, Patricia earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and also married her tall, dark, and handsome Yankee husband, Roger Harrison. For the next 36 years they had many adventures, including traveling the world courtesy of Roger’s careers with the Navy, Hughes Aircraft, and Raytheon Technologies. Along the way Pat and Roger welcomed their only child, Jennifer, and together they had the best time living in and traveling throughout Japan, Virginia, and California.
Patricia earned a Master’s Degree in Library Science from San Jose State University at the age of 58. She had always loved books and reading, and being able to help others find their own favorite page-turners made her very happy.
In 2005, Roger passed away unexpectedly and Patricia chose to retire in Memphis. She made new and rekindled old friendships, took many trips with her sister Carol through Germantown Parks and Recreation, became a lady who lunched weekly with her friends and family, doted on her two granddaughters, and was a gifted gardener and canner of delicious jams.
Patricia, Pat, Tap, Skagway South, Mom, and Mama, as she was called at different times in her life, was simultaneously a scaredy-cat at heart and a brave, determined woman who faced the fear and did what she had to do anyway. She was witty in general, but even funnier when she got so mad that she created new curse words. She had a journalist’s mind and was always curious and open to learning new things. She was a loyal friend and had a kind, compassionate heart. Patricia’s life was centered around her family and friends and she missed seeing them as much after her ILD diagnosis in 2020.
Patricia truly loved to travel and enjoyed trips to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, and Italy with her family and friends. Mom was an Anglophile and never met a BBC production she didn’t like. She was also passionate about her beloved hometown of Memphis, her close-knit family, any great story, tomato slices with salt, carnations, the color yellow, Japanese woodblock prints, flamenco dancing, stained glass, brooches, anything lemon flavored or scented, the music of ABBA and the Beatles, celebrating Christmas, catching dinner and a show at the Orpheum with friends, cooking great meals of every possible cuisine, and making anything creative: afghans, sweaters, scarves, ceramics, jewelry, and any art project that her granddaughters wanted to make.
On a personal note, no one will ever love me as much or cheer as loud for me as my Mom did. Mom showed me how much she loved me with every song she sang to me, our long neighborhood walks to 7/11 for a Slurpee, the silly dance-offs we had while cleaning the house, every Halloween/dance/school/ play costumes she happily sewed, countless midnight drives throughout Southern California when both of her granddaughters had colic, and her never-ending supply of hugs, kisses, and words of love. Thank you for everything, Mom - the best parts of me were formed through your complete and unconditional love. Your family will miss you every day, but we also know that you are now free, at peace, and with everyone you had already loved and lost. Please send one of your favorite cardinals our way every once in a while. One day we will all be together again.
Patricia is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Jennifer and Ramsey Nunn, granddaughters Zoe and Kaelie Nunn, sister Carol Sheehan, sister and brother-in-law Mary and John Walsh, brother and sister-in-law Tom and Marti Sheehan, niece and nephew-in-law Sarah and Travis Smith, grand-nephew Camden Smith, and many wonderful and loving cousins and friends.
Visitation will be at Memorial Park Funeral Home, 5668 Poplar Ave., on Friday, February 25th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. A funeral Mass will be said at Holy Rosary Church, 4841 Park Ave., on Saturday, February 26th at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Holy Rosary School.
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