HARRIS, Beatrice
BEATRICE HARRIS, 94, of
Augusta, GA, and formerly of
Dayton, Ohio, died peacefully on March 27, 2021.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Bea was preceded in death by her parents, Anna and
Solomon Eisner of Brooklyn,
NY; her husband, Aaron M.
(Rick) Harris of Dayton, Ohio; her son, Stephen Harris of Dayton, Ohio; and her sister, Marilyn Pell of Los Angeles, CA. Bea was born in Brooklyn, NY, to immigrant parents. She excelled in school and completed high school at age 16. Although she would have liked to further her education, she had to go to work to support her mother when her father passed away at an early age. Bea took a job in New York City in the furrier business and soon was promoted to a managerial position. She enjoyed working but soon met a tall handsome young man who had just returned from WWII. Bea and Rick married in 1950 and continued living in Brooklyn. They started a family and in 1956 had an opportunity to move to the Midwest. Rick’s job was to last four years, but they fell in love with Dayton and made it their permanent home. In 1962 Rick founded Rixan Associates and Bea became the chief financial officer.
Bea never met a stranger. She took a genuine interest in others. She not only loved her family, but she also loved her many, many friends who became her Dayton family. She enjoyed golf, tennis, bridge, mahjong, movies, live theater and she was an excellent cook. She was extremely generous. It was not uncommon for her to perform random acts of kindness. She was a member of Temple Israel and Meadowbrook County Club.
Bea is survived by her daughter, Joan H. Steinberg (Stephen) of Augusta, GA; her daughter-in-law, Deborah Harris of Dayton, OH; her grandson, Andrew D. Steinberg (Ann) of San Francisco, CA; her granddaughter, Amanda Harris Cole (David) of Moreland Hills, OH; her grandson, Alexander A. Harris (Alexandra) of Lakewood, OH; and her great-grandchildren Charlie Cole, Emmitt Lee Steinberg, and Senna Cole.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Israel, 130 Riverside Dr., Dayton, OH 45405, or a charity of your choice. A private family service was held. Glickler Funeral Home handled the arrangements.