With great regret, we announce that on December 5th our beloved BRITTANY “BEE” ANN HARRISON
made her final passage. Heartbreakingly, she was one of millions of loved ones lost to opiates. Brittany was open, vulnerable, and courageous in battling her addiction for 15 years. Our hearts are shattered, but we trust that our angel now has new wings and that the gravity of this world no longer weighs her spirit down.
Sometimes despite a family’s unfailing efforts, we find ourselves at this point. We will always remember her as our youngest daughter and baby sister: writing on the walls with mom’s lipstick, putting on that same lipstick so she could be “bee-utiful” just like her mom, jumping down the stairs into her stepfather’s arms, and reminding us, as a precious and precocious three-year-old girl, that dogwood trees do indeed smell like dog sh*t.
Bee was a dreamer. An inveterate fighter, a prissy princess, an empathetic caregiver, an incandescent beauty, and a bright, burning flame. In her seasons of sobriety, Brittany was a steadfast lighthouse, guiding others in the midst of their own darkness.
More than all that, Brittany was a mother and daughter. A sister and aunt. A friend and sojourner.
She leaves behind her beautiful little girl, Lily, who has all the best of her mama and more. We pray that any darkness Brittany had to carry will now fade away, so that not only may she Rest In Peace, but also that Lily, and other children who have lost their guardians, may Live in Freedom.
Nearly 18 years ago her father was also lost unexpectedly. Here’s hoping the two of them, preferably with Jim Henson and Marilyn Monroe alongside, get to celebrate Christmas together for the first time in a long time.
And until the time we can be there with you: we love you, Brittany. We will live our lives here with kindness, compassion, and strength. Just like you taught us.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be sent to Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States. You can donate at shatterproof.org
Brittany was preceded in death by her father, Robert Louis Harrison; her grandparents, Robert Harrison and Elizabeth (Betty) Harrison, Louis Wall and Barbara Shadwick. She leaves behind her parents, Glenn Charlesworth and Debbie Charlesworth; her daughter, Lily Besser; her sister, Jami Kath Harrison; her brother, Bobby Harrison, his wife, Amy Harrison and their children Abe, Sam, and Simone Harrison; and her beloved dogs Candy and Bella.
Viewing will be from 12 to 7 p.m., Friday, December 11, 2020, at Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home. Service and inurnment will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, December 12, 2020 at Rest Hills Memorial Park. State of AR COVID-19 directives: Face coverings required. Maintain social distancing. Online guestbook www.SmithFamilyCares.com