JUDITH HARRIS PIRTLE

1941-2021

Judith Mae Harris was born in St. Louis on February 11, 1941. She died on Sunday, September 5 in Houston after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The Harris family moved to Dallas and then Waco before settling in Houston when Judy was in 7th grade. Judy attended St. Rose of Lima Catholic School and graduated from Marian High School in 1959. While at Marian, Judy met an upperclassman from St. Thomas High School named Lawrence James Pirtle. Judy and Larry dated for several years, married in 1960, and started their family in Houston.

Judy was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She volunteered for her three daughters’ schools, and many other activities. Judy excelled at cooking and taught her daughters to bake from scratch. She created wonderful family memories by arranging fun vacations to the mountains and beach as she loved nature, seashells, birds and animals. She planned festive holiday and birthday celebrations and had a way of making her husband and each of her children and grandchildren feel unique and special.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents, George Alfred and Dorothy Milligan Harris, and her sister, Patricia Harris Bohne. She is survived by her husband of nearly 61 years, Larry, and her daughters,

Karen Davis (Paul), Janet Grauberger (Greg), and Sharyn Kaufman (Shawn.) She is also survived by her six grandchildren, Matthew, John and Daniel Davis; Christopher and Will Grauberger; and Amelie Kaufman; and by her niece, Cindy Dorbandt Mason and nephew, Kenny Dorbandt.

A Funeral Mass will be held at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Houston at 9:00 am on Saturday, September 11, with Reverend Raymond Cook, OMI, officiating. A livestream link is posted on Judy’s tribute on bradshawcarter.com. A reception will follow in the parish hall.

For those wishing to do so, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at act.alz.org, the SPCA at houstonspca.org, or to the charity of one’s choice.