Geraldine Josephine "Geri" (Brancato) HARRIS
Burial Details
Obituaries
Daily Sentinel page 3D - May 10, 2020
Geraldine
Josephine Harris
May 2, 1935 - May 1, 2020
Geraldine Harris passed
away peacefully in Grand
Junction, CO, on May 1, 2020.
Geri, as she was known, grew
up in South Euclid-Lyndhurst,
Ohio. Her parents, Peter and
Lydia Brancato, and her sisters,
Barbara and Linda, comprised a
wonderful and loving family.
Geri attended Brush High before receiving a bachelor of fine arts
degree from Ohio University. She briefly taught art education for
the Cleveland public school system before embarking on a trip to
teach in Denver, Colorado. There, she met the love of her life, Bill
Harris, and began raising her new family, including four children,
Peter, Rick, Wendy, and John. Geri went on to teach elementary art
for the Jefferson County school system for over 20 years.
The beauty of the Colorado landscape inspired Geri to pursue the
outdoor life. She took up skiing with a passion, painted outdoors,
hiked and camped with her husband and children, and spent time
in the garden. She inspired those around her to pursue their own
passions, and her joy with life was infectious.
Later in life, Geri went back to school and received her master’s
degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She continued
her life in art as part of the “Outsiders”, a group of plein air painters
who were her dear friends. Geri was a member of the Western
Colorado Watercolor Society, Pastel Society of Colorado, Brush
and Palette Club of Grand Junction, and a board of trustees member
for The Art Center in Grand Junction. Her paintings grace many
homes in the Grand Valley.
She found time to travel around the world and especially loved
her trips to Asia and Europe. In between all that good living, she
had her nose in a good book almost every day.
Geri is preceded in death by daughter, Wendy, and survived by
her husband of 60 years, Bill; children, Peter, Rick, John, and their
spouses, Holly, Gwen, and Susan; son-in-law, John; grandchildren,
Katie, Andrew, and Lydia; step-grandchild, Petra, and sisters,
Barbara and Linda.
Geri wanted to give special thanks to all the p
