Carol Harris, 87, passed away December 2, 2018. She went to Nurses Training at Presbyterian Saint Luke's Hospital in downtown Chicago then went on to earn her RN and BS Degree from the University of Illinois. Her husband, Clifford J. Harris, MD, completed a Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at Cook County and joined the Air Force as a Captain. He was stationed at a NATO base in Izmir, Turkey for two years where one of their eight children was born. Cliff eventually set up a medical practice in Mesa, Arizona, and was the first Internist in the area. Carol supported his medical practice, starting an HMO and building a home in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. She was awarded Mesa Citizen of the year in 1982, Mesa's Mother of the Year and later Arizona Mother of the Year in 2001. She authored Roots to Blossoms, a book about Mesa derived from her involvement in Mesa's happenings, including her activity in the Mesa Historical Society. She was part of the Southwest Archeological Team and obtained her certification for archeologic digs. Not only did she work Casa Malpies in Springerville, she was the driving force in preserving the Hohokam ruins and canals close to her home. The "Park of the Canals", located off Stapley Road, demonstrates Hohokam genius and put Mesa on the map in the National Historical Museum in Washington D.C. in the early 80s. Carol was a promoter of Women's Rights marching on the Phoenix Capital for Civil Rights in the '60's and working diligently for the League of Women Voters. She and all her daughters marched in D.C. commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage in1995. Carol founded to start Inner City Kindergartens staffed by volunteer teachers and located in churches throughout the Valley like Guadalupe. She continued and spearheaded making kindergarten part of the Public Schools. She also taught children health education on the Tohono O'Odham Reservation as well as the Great Books Course to the prisoners in Florence. She went on to earn a Master's in Nursing at ASU becoming a Certified Nurse Practitioner. She eventually returned to teach in the Nurse Practitioner program at ASU. She volunteered as a Nurse Practitioner at the Presbyterian church in Guadalupe. Carol requested that instead of flowers please donate to the United Way which she supported. Her Memorial Service is at Grace United Methodist Church in Mesa, Arizona on January 12, 2019 at 10:00 am. (Source: Arizona Republic)