Mrs. Carolyn A. Harris

Mrs. Carolyn A. Harris, 92, of Greenville, South Carolina, passed away peacefully on August 28, 2025, just one week shy of her 93rd birthday. Born in Greenville on September 3, 1932, she was the daughter of the late Lillie Jeter Thompson and John Thompson, Sr.

Carolyn was married for over six decades to her beloved husband, Rev. Richard Harris, Sr., who preceded her in death on July 4, 2023. Together, they built a life centered on love, family, and faith. A devoted mother, she was preceded in death by her sons, Sherwood Thompson and Richard Harris, Jr., and leaves behind her daughters, Vanessa Harris and Penny Hawthorne, who will forever cherish her memory.

She was the proud grandmother of Malik Thompson, Aminah Thompson, and Brandy Hawthorne, and the great-grandmother of Elias Copeland, Khari Thompson, and Josiah Thompson. She is also survived by her sister, Jacqueline Chatman of Gary, Indiana. She was preceded in death by her twin brother, John Thompson, and her brother, Isadore Thompson.

Carolyn lived her life with strength, dignity, and resilience. Despite losing her hearing in her twenties, she never let it define or limit her. She was an active and devoted member of the historic John Wesley United Methodist Church, where she served faithfully in the women’s choir. Her deep love for flowers and gardening brought beauty into her own home and to many others, as her award-winning arrangements were admired throughout the community.

She will be remembered as a no-nonsense homemaker who gave her all to those she loved, a woman who never shied away from hard work, and someone who could always be counted on to contribute to a lively conversation or family gathering.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. sharp, at M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery, 140 Inway Dr., Anderson, SC 29621. Carolyn will be laid to rest beside her late husband, Rev. Richard Harris, Sr., a Korean War veteran.

The family celebrates her remarkable life and the example she leaves behind—a legacy of love, faith, and perseverance.