Shrewsbury – Lorraine J. “Laurie” (Potvin) Harris, 88, longtime Shrewsbury resident, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, January 6, 2022. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 58 years, George R. “Bob” Harris, who passed in 2014, and their son, Mark R. Harris, who passed in 2017.
Laurie leaves her devoted children, Chris T. Harris, and Debora MacLean and her husband Brian; her daughter-in-law, Nancy L. Harris; her loving grandchildren, Robert Harris and his wife Brigid McCauley, Erin (Harris) Castelli and her husband Daniel, Bryan Harris and his partner Sara Kinkade, Matthew MacLean and his wife Alex, and Kevin S. MacLean and his partner Maika Ball; her great-granddaughter, Eva Castelli; her sister, Jeannie Houle and her husband Richard; her sister-in-law, Elaine Potvin; and many nieces and nephews. Laurie was blessed to have loving step-grandchildren; Jennifer (Hardy) McKnight and her husband Tom, Kimberly (Hardy) Cosky and her husband Nick, Robert Hardy and his partner Katie Zanchi, and step-great-grandchildren, Braiden and Liam McKnight. Along with Bob and Mark, she was also predeceased by her siblings, Roland, Henry, Robert, Germaine, and Muriel; and their parents, Henry A. Potvin and Orise (Lauzon) Potvin.
Laurie was born, raised, and educated in Worcester, graduating from Commerce High School. She started her working career at Norton Co. in Worcester. At 23, she married Bob, the love of her life, and the pair settled in Shrewsbury to raise their family. Laurie waitressed at the Center Dairy Bar in Shrewsbury, The Grille Restaurant in Northborough, and ended her career with many amazing years as the Crossing Guard for the Town of Shrewsbury at St. Mary’s Church – the church where she was a faithful parishioner for over 50 years, being a woman of strong faith.
In her younger years, Laurie loved going to the beach and taking the opportunities to travel with Bob. She was the dedicated family photographer, and loved being behind the camera taking photos of everything and everyone; she also loved going to the Hanover Theatre (where she held season tickets) and watching her son, Chris, perform at the Calliope Theatre in Boylston. Laurie was always quick with a joke and had the most infectious laugh – she will be deeply missed by her beloved family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Mary’s Parish, 20 Summer Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545 (https://stmarysparish.org/weshare).
Relatives and friends are invited to visit with the Harris family from 10 – 11 AM on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at the BRITTON-SHREWSBURY FUNERAL HOME, 648 Main Street, Shrewsbury, MA. Her funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 AM, next door at St. Mary’s Church, 640 Main Street, Shrewsbury, followed by burial in Mountain View Cemetery. Masks will kindly be required, per the Town of Shrewsbury’s current mandate.
