Laurie Harry

Laurie Ellen Harry (Francis) of Tucker, Georgia passed away on January 31, 2025 from heart failure brought on by surgical complications at Emory Decatur Hospital.

She was born in August 1953 in Myrtle Point, Oregon to parents Ritchie and Shirley Francis. She attended Myrtle Point High School where she played clarinet in the school's band. She graduated high school with honors in 1971 and, after a summer working at Diamond Lake in Southern Oregon, moved to Portland to attend the Northwest University's College of Business. She graduated college in 1974 and married Victor Harry in 1975. She worked in Georgia-Pacific's corporate office in Portland from 1978 to 1982. She moved to Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and preschool-aged children in 1982 to continue her career with Georgia-Pacific in the Worker's Compensation Department. She retired from Georgia-Pacific in 2020, a forty-two year career.

Laurie was known as an easy-going person who was naturally upbeat and loved growing summer vegetables and cooking delicious Thanksgiving dinners for her family. She was also a skilled crafter, completing hundreds of sewing and cross-stitch projects and photo scrapbooks for her family and friends.

A memory she carried with her throughout her life was driving into Portland as a young child with her older sister Jackie and Jackie's husband, Ritchie, in 1962. They drove into the city at night, and Laurie, a 9 year old girl from a small town, found the big city's lights one of the most enchanting scenes she had ever witnessed.

Laurie was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Jackie Daniels, her beloved niece Holly Chirrick, and her husband. She is survived by her sister Julie Groves (Ed), her children, Keshawn (Jennifer) and Kendra (Ken), and her three grandchildren whom she loved very much, Logan, Mallory, and Ben, and dear family friends Johnny, Geeta, and Riley Ragbir.

In lieu of donations to organizations, the family asks for support of Laurie's grandson Ben, who is autistic and requires therapy and special instruction. Please contact Ken at bamadog76@yahoo.com if you would like any information on supporting Ben.