Claudette Elizabeth Harris, 84, 32-year Philadelphia teacher
Her holiday feasts were legendary, and no one was turned away
IF YOU ARRIVED at one of Aunt Claudie's holiday feasts, you would have been advised not to say you weren't hungry or you had just eaten. You had to grab a plate and sit down and dig in. It was an absolute requirement, not to be violated.
And you would not have regretted your compliance, because Aunt Claudie - Claudette Elizabeth Harris - was an outstanding cook in the Southern tradition. Barbecued meat, mouth-watering fried chicken, collard greens, candied sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese and all the rest were prepared in quantities that might have lasted any other family a week.
Claudette was a 32-year teacher in the Philadelphia School District who retired in June 1988. But getting there was a challenge that Claudette conquered with her famous drive and determination.
She died of heart failure June 19 at age 84. She lived in South Philadelphia, where she was a neighborhood icon always dedicated to helping anyone who needed her, and especially concerned about young people's education. She tutored many of them to help them on their way.
"When I think of my grandmother, I think of the Frank Sinatra song, 'My Way,' " said her grandson, state Rep. Jordan Harris. "She did things her own way."
Claudette was raising three children in the former Martin Luther King Jr. housing project at 13th and Fitzwater streets and working as a classroom aide, when she decided she would become a teacher herself.
She attended Philadelphia Community College, then went on to Temple University, where she received her bachelor's degree in education in 1975. She also completed course work toward a master's degree.
She taught at a number of Philadelphia elementary schools and retired from the Abigail Vare Elementary School.
"She was an extraordinary woman," said Jordan Harris, a Democrat who represents the 186th Legislative District in Harrisburg. "She was a woman of great drive, determination and perseverance. She was very family oriented and cared about her neighborhood and community.
"At the same time, she was a snazzy and stylish woman. My grandmother was the epitome of class."
Jordan Harris is concerned with improving educational opportunities for the city's children, and has written on the subject for the Inquirer.
"I got my passion for education from my grandmother," he said.
Claudette was born in Philadelphia on the Fourth of July 1940, the youngest of the 10 children of Ola Pearl Phillips-Wallace and Sylvester Wallace Sr. On July 8, 1958, she married the late Emmett Harris.
"She was outspoken and straight-forward," said Jordan Harris' wife, Amber. "You always knew where you stood with her."
Although Claudette hosted family get-togethers at major holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas, the really big observance was July Fourth, her birthday. All of her siblings and their families showed up, as well as neighbors' families. And no stragglers were turned away.
Claudette was an active churchwoman. She was baptized at an early age at New Central Baptist Church in South Philadelphia. She later joined the former Monument Church of Christ, where she served on the Mothers' Board.
Besides her grandson, she is survived by a daughter, Karen Harris; two sons, Brian and Robert Harris; three sisters, Lenora Ives, Lillian Singleton and Mable Woodards; a brother, Jack Wallace Sr.; and another grandson, Matthew Wright. She was predeceased by a son, William Harris.
Services: 10 a.m. Saturday at Yesha Ministries Worship Center, 2301 Snyder Ave. Friends may call at 9 a.m. Interment will be private.