ARLINGTON, Texas — Anna Rebecca (Buffington) Harrison,
79, died Wednesday, August 25, 2021. She passed peacefully after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. She is predeceased by her parents James Marvin and Anna Louise Buffington of Lake Village, Ark.
Anna loved life and found joy in music. She played the piano and sang in church choirs in addition to singing in the Hickory Choral Society (Hickory, N.C.). Anna was a life-long teacher and taught a majority of her career at Wallace Elementary in Lake Highlands. Her peers at Wallace best remember her for her laughter and sense of style.
She later worked for Captain Hope’s Kids in Dallas educating the public about the non-profit organization through speaking engagements and site tours. She also taught math and language arts to young adults on probation to prepare them for the Gen Ed Development test as well as taught language arts lessons privately for dyslexic children. Anna loved Italian food as well as living on the lake (Lake Village, Ark., as well as Cedar Creek Lake, Tool, Texas) where she enjoyed feeding the birds, gardening and an afternoon relaxing and floating in the cove at her weekend house where she and her husband lived. She also loved traveling, hiking and being with her family and myriad of friends. Her laughter was contagious and she found joy and humor in every situation. Anna also loved the college that she graduated, University of Arkansas, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority. Most of all Anna loved her church and her Lord. She was raised in the church and her faith sustained her even when she was no longer able to attend worship services.
Anna and her husband of 53 years, Fred Harrison, were long time members of First Presbyterian Church, Dallas, where she sang in the choir and served as an Elder. She and Fred both enjoyed attending the annual church retreat at Mo Ranch near Hunt, Texas. She is survived by her loving husband Fred Harrison (Arlington, Texas), and her two daughters, Suzanna Greer and her husband, Scott, of Arlington, Texas; and Holly Barrow and her husband, Tony, of Fort Worth, Texas. Anna is also survived by her younger sister, Elizabeth Williamson and her husband, Charlie of Alexander City, Ala., as well as several nieces, nephews and cousins. Services will be held on September 25, 2021 at 3 p.m., The Chapel at First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, 1835 Young St., Dallas, Texas 75201.
Memorial donations in Anna’s honor may be made to First Presbyterian Church Dallas Foundation, 1835 Young St, Dallas, Texas, 75201, or a charity of your choice.