Joyce Ann Cole Harris

Joyce Ann Cole Harris, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on November 6, 2025, just days after her 92nd birthday. Born on October 14, 1933, to Lucy and Walter Cole, Joyce Ann’s roots reach back more than 200 years on the Eastern Shore of Maryland—a family heritage steeped in tradition, faith, and hard work. She grew up in Bridgetown, Maryland, and moved to Goldsboro at the age of 15. Joyce Ann graduated from Greensboro High School in the Class of 1951. It was in Goldsboro, at Trinity United Methodist Church, that she met the love of her life, Lawrence Milton Harris. They were married on March 1, 1952, and together they shared 65 wonderful years of love, partnership, and laughter. Joyce Ann and Lawrence raised three children—David L. Harris (Rose), Randy C. Harris (Nancy), and Gayle H. Gage (John)—on their cherished family farm, Bee Tree Farm, located on Bee Tree Road in Henderson, Maryland. The farmhouse, originally built by Lawrence’s father and grandfather, was the heart of a proud multi-generation farming legacy that continues today with the third and fourth generations of the family keeping the legacy going. A devoted wife and mother, Joyce Ann balanced the daily demands of farm life with grace, humor, and an unwavering sense of purpose. She was deeply active in church life, serving as a Sunday School teacher, member of the Vestry committee, and steady guiding hand to her family in faith. Later in life, she became a beloved member of Calvary United Methodist Church in Marydel, Maryland. Joyce Ann also worked for many years as a teacher’s aide at Greensboro Elementary School, where her kind and patient nature made her a favorite among students and staff alike. When she wasn’t caring for others, Joyce Ann poured her creative spirit into countless projects. She was an exceptional seamstress, skillfully making clothing and re-upholstering furniture. She also had a talent for refinishing antique furniture, earning numerous awards for her craftsmanship. Her cooking was equally admired—her famous chicken salad was a staple at family gatherings, and her legendary “Pink Stuff” jello salad was a must-have at every holiday table. Her gardens—both flowers and vegetables—were always vibrant, reflecting her love for beauty and her tireless work ethic. After raising her children, Joyce Ann took immense joy in helping to raise her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom lovingly called her “Mom Mom.” While she ruled the household with a firm but fair hand, her family knew her heart was as big as the kitchen table around which they so often gathered. One of her favorite family jokes remains part of her legacy: Lawrence would often laugh that Joyce Ann could “leave the house for church at ten minutes after nine and still get there ten minutes before nine.” Her family will forever smile

at that memory—proof that Joyce Ann could, indeed, make time bend to her will when she needed to.

Joyce Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Milton Harris, and is survived by her

three children, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren: Grandchildren: Gina M. Zook, Christopher D. Harris (Mary), Jennifer L. Petroski (Neal), R. Cole Gage (Megan), Harris M. Gage (Molli), Jake A. Harris, and Dean A. Harris.Great-grandchildren: four who brought her endless joy and laughter.

Her family will remember her as the steady center of their lives—the captain of the ship, the keeper of family traditions, and the heart of Bee Tree Farm. Her legacy of love, faith, and family will live on through all whose lives she touched.